New Aspects of CMV-Related Immunopathology

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection causes severe diseases in immunocompromised patients. CMV-related morbidity is frequently linked to aberrant immune responses occurring locally within the respective tissues including immune-privileged sites such as the retina. There is growing evidence that CMV-related pathomechanisms differ profoundly as a function of cell type and differentiation state of the host cell. This book provides important new insights into CMV-related immunopathology, discusses molecular mechanisms involved in HCMV-mediated tissue injury, CMV latency and reactivation, and presents novel ideas and concepts to develop alternative antiviral drugs. As an important focus, the role of CMV-reactive T cells in protection, pathogenesis, diagnosis and therapy of HCMV infection is discussed. The contributions to this book are written by leading scientists and clinicians in the field of CMV who participated in the fourth international meeting on CMV-related immunopathology, held in Berlin, September 2002. Comprehensive and up-to-date, this volume is a vital reference for clinicians involved in the diagnosis and treatment of CMV infections, as well as for researchers working in the field of herpesvirus biology and the development of antiviral drugs.