Human herpesvirus evasion of humoral immunity and implications for vaccine development

Herpesviruses are highly species-specific, having co-evolved with their respective hosts over millennia. This evolutionary relationship has led to the development of highly specialized immune evasion strategies, enabling these viruses to establish lifelong infections. Periods of immunosuppression can lead to severe disease, such as graft rejection, cancer, neurodegenerative disease and autoimmune diseases, which have been linked to herpesvirus infections. Consequently, developing strategies to prevent herpesvirus-associated diseases is a critical public health priority. However, varicella zoster virus (VZV) remains the only human herpesvirus for which licensed vaccines are available. This Review explores the mechanisms of humoral immune evasion by herpesviruses and their implications for advancing immunization and treatment strategies for chronic neurological, oncological and transplant-associated diseases caused by these common viral pathogens.