Progress toward developing a cytomegalovirus vaccine

In recent years, data have been generated to support the view that cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease, which exacts a major toll on public health, will be amenable to vaccine immunoprophylaxis. Clinical trials have shown that a live attenuated CMV strain called Towne is both safe and immunogenic. Protection against CMV-induced disease with this vaccine appears to mimic that afforted by prior natural infection. Current research directed at the identification of molecular subunits retaining the immunogenic capacity of whole virus but lacking viral nucleic acid has yielded promising results. Target groups for a CMV vaccine will include patients with natural and iatrogenic forms of immunosuppression as well as seronegative women contemplating pregnancy.