Summary of the 12th International Conference on Human Herpesviruses-6A, -6B, and -7

Abstract

The 12th International Conference on Human Herpesvirus (HHV)-6A, HHV-6B, and HHV-7 was held in Himeji, Japan, from March 25 to March 27, 2025. It attracted over 120 basic, translational, and clinical scientists from 17 countries. Important new information was presented regarding: studies of viral genes and proteins; mechanism of chromosomal integration of the viral genome; host cell interactions; inherited chromosomally integrated HHV-6A/B, also called endogenous HHV-6A/B); the role of the viruses in drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome (DIHS)/drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS); the role of the viruses as opportunistic pathogens in immunocompromised people; the role of the viruses in diseases of the central nervous system, particularly encephalopathy, post-COVID neurological conditions, complex febrile seizures, and synucleinopathies; and the possible role of the viruses in non-Hodgkin lymphoma and autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus. In this review, we summarize many of the oral presentations. The full text of the Conference Abstracts is available at: https://hhv-6foundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Abstracts_FINAL-3.10.25.pdf.