[Drugs against human cytomegalovirus]

Abstract

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infects about 60% of adults in developed world and more than 90% of developing countries population. In the immunocompetent host, initial infection and reactivation of latent infection are usually asymptomatic. However, in hosts with impaired cellular immune functions, such as transplant recipients, patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or undergoing anticancer chemo- and/or radiotherapy, the full pathogenic potential of the virus may be realized. HCMV is also among the most common causes of viral intrauterine infection affecting from 0.4 to 2.3% of live-born infants. Though in pregnant, immunocompetent women infections with HCMV are usually asymptomatic, severe infections may occur among congenitally infected fetuses and infants due to immaturity of their immune system. Approximately 40% of mothers with primary HCMV infections during gestation transmit virus to their infants. Although only 10% of infected infants are symptomatic at birth, 20 to 30% of these die. In addition, 5 to 15% of asymptomatic neonates are at risk of developing congenital anomalies later. In this outline we present anti-CMV drugs currently in clinical use and give examples of new molecules under laboratory and clinical development.