Innate Immunity in Human Cytomegalovirus Infection

Viruses are detected by the host cell's innate immune system through the recognition of viral RNA or DNA by the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) and the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway. However, many viruses have evolved mechanisms to evade cGAS-STING signaling and suppress the antiviral interferon-β (IFN-β) response. Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), a lifelong β-herpesvirus infecting over 80% of the global population, can cause severe disease and even death in vulnerable individuals.

This project aims to elucidate the mechanism by which phosphoprotein 71 (pp71) inhibits the cGAS-STING-IFN-β pathway. To achieve this, we utilize primary fibroblasts, clinical HCMV strains with targeted mutations, and both primary and knockout immune cells to investigate the role of pp71 in immune evasion.