title: Developing a Vaccine against Congenital Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Infection: What Have We Learned from Animal Models? Where Should We Go Next?
abstract: Congenital human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection can lead to long-term neurodevelopmental sequelae, including mental retardation and sensorineural hearing loss. Unfortunately, CMVs are highly adapted to their specific species, precluding the evaluation of HCMV vaccines in animal models prior to clinical trials. Several species-specific CMVs have been characterized and developed in models of pathogenesis and vaccine-mediated protection against disease. These include the murine CMV (MCMV), the porcine CMV (PCMV), the rhesus macaque CMV (RhCMV), the rat CMV (RCMV), and the guinea pig CMV (GPCMV). Because of the propensity of the GPCMV to cross the placenta, infecting the fetusin utero, it has emerged as a model of particular interest in studying vaccine-mediated protection of the fetus. In this paper, a review of these various models, with particular emphasis on the value of the model in the testing and evaluation of vaccines against congenital CMV, is provided. Recent exciting developments and advances in these various models are summarized, and recommendations offered for high-priority areas for future study.
authors: University of Minnesota Medical School Center for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Translational Research Department of Pediatrics Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology 2001 6 Street SE Minneapolis, MN 55455-3007 schleiss@umn.edu.
authors: Mark R
authors: MR
authors: Schleiss
keywords: Animal cytomegalovirus models; CMV pentameric complex; Cytomegalovirus; Cytomegalovirus vaccine; Guinea pig CMV; Guinea pig model; Live; Murine CMV; Porcine CMV; Rat CMV; Rhesus CMV; attenuated CMV vaccines; immune modulation; placenta