EduAsiaNews, Texas Researchers from Texas Biologics at The University of Texas at Austin have recorded a major breakthrough in efforts to combat human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), a common virus that often goes unnoticed but poses serious risks to vulnerable populations. The findings open the door to the development of safer and more effective therapies, particularly for patients with weakened immune systems.
HCMV is a member of the herpesvirus family with a very high rate of infection. Some estimates suggest that more than 80 percent of the world’s population has been exposed to the virus. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identify HCMV as the leading infectious cause of birth defects. Despite this, no effective vaccine is currently available, while existing antiviral treatments often carry toxic side effects and the risk of drug resistance.
The main challenge in treating HCMV lies in its ability to evade the immune system. The virus produces special proteins that can “hijack” antibodies, preventing them from recruiting natural killer (NK) cells to clear infected cells.
Working with scientists from the University of Freiburg in Germany and Cardiff University in the United Kingdom, the research team developed antibodies with engineered structures. These antibodies are designed so they can no longer be “fooled” by the virus, while still effectively activating the body’s immune response.
“Our engineered antibodies are like a lock the virus can’t pick,” said Jennifer Maynard, a professor of chemical engineering in the McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering at UT Austin and one of the lead authors of the research published in Cell. According to Maynard, the antibodies retain their ability to activate the immune system while being resistant to the virus’s evasion strategies.
In laboratory experiments, the new antibodies were shown to inhibit the spread of the virus between cells—one of the key characteristics that makes HCMV so difficult to control. Viral dissemination in infected cell cultures dropped significantly, highlighting the therapy’s promising potential.
Ahlam N. Qerqez, the study’s lead author and now a senior scientist at Denali Therapeutics, described the interaction as a tug-of-war between the virus and the immune system. “The virus has evolved clever strategies to pull antibodies away from their intended targets, making it harder for the immune system to do its job,” she said.
The research focused on IgG1 antibodies, one of the immune system’s main tools for fighting infection. By precisely mapping the regions of the antibody targeted by the virus, the researchers modified them so they could no longer be bound by viral proteins, while still activating natural killer cells.
For most healthy individuals, HCMV typically remains dormant and causes no symptoms. However, for organ transplant recipients, cancer patients, newborns, and fetuses in the womb, the virus can lead to severe complications—ranging from organ damage and developmental delays to death. Globally, HCMV is estimated to affect up to 2 percent of pregnancies.
The researchers believe this antibody-engineering approach could be applied to other viruses that use similar immune-evasion strategies, including other herpesviruses and even certain bacterial infections. The findings also underscore the importance of targeting infected cells, not just the virus itself.
“This represents a paradigm shift in antiviral therapy,” said Jason McLellan, a professor of molecular biosciences at UT Austin and a co-author of the study. “Instead of simply trying to neutralize the virus, we are empowering the immune system to clear infected cells.”
Even so, the engineered antibodies will require further rounds of testing before they can be used in clinical settings. The research team is also exploring the possibility of combining this approach with antiviral drugs or vaccines to develop a more comprehensive treatment strategy.
