Current Progress in Targeting Human Cytomegalovirus Infection

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), also known as human herpesvirus 5, infects the majority of human populations worldwide and causes a range of diseases, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. HCMV can establish life-long latency in infected hematopoietic cells, maintaining the viral genome as an episome that can reactivate to produce viral progeny upon appropriate stimulation. Understanding the establishment, maintenance, and reactivation of HCMV latency is crucial for developing targeted therapeutic strategies against HCMV infection and HCMV-induced diseases. Here, we discuss the recent advances in the mechanisms by which HCMV maintains its genome in infected cells, the cellular factors or viral antigens that modulate its reactivation, and the development of anti-HCMV therapeutics or vaccines. Overall, these insights may pave the way for the development of novel therapies that specifically and efficiently target HCMV-associated diseases.