Cytomegalovirus Vaccines

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a ubiquitous betaherpesvirus causing serious disease in immune compromised patients, including solid-organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients and patients with HIV infection. However, the biggest impact of CMV is in women of child-bearing age, since this virus is the most common infectious disease responsible for developmental disability, in particular sensorineural hearing loss. The major impetus for CMV vaccine development, therefore, is to prevent congenital infection. Driven by improved understanding in recent years of the correlates of protective immunity, several CMV vaccines are currently in clinical trials. This chapter reviews emerging concepts in CMV vaccine development, with an emphasis on how a successful vaccine program could substantially improve newborn health.