HCMV glycoproteins glycosylation role in disease pathogenesis

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  In Vitro Investigation of the Role of Human Cytomegalovirus Glycoprotein Polymorphisms in Disease Pathogenesis

• IRAS ID

  171320

• Contact name

  Jawaher Abdulhakim

• Contact email

  jawaher.abdulhakim@postgrad.manchester.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  University of Manchester

• Duration of Study in the UK

  2 years, 2 months, 30 days

• Research summary

  Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a herpes virus that only infects humans rarely causing disease in healthy people. However, if the immune system is damaged or absent it may cause severe disease or death. It infects around 1 in 100 unborn babies in developed countries; most are born healthy but approximately 15% have symptoms ranging from deafness to mental retardation to death. To grow the virus must get inside a human cell and it carries surface structures called glycoproteins that help it do this. Glycoproteins are proteins with a sugar (or glycan) coating and the sugar part is important in the interaction between virus and cell. The glycoproteins are known to undergo genetic change or mutation and previous work has shown that babies born with HCMV disease are often infected with a virus with the same type of glycoprotein suggesting that some types are more dangerous than others.
  Studies in this laboratory have shown mutation in the genetic code of the glycoprotein leads to change in the glycan. The aim of this study is to test this observation to see if it explains why HCMV doesn’t always cause disease. A laboratory based (in vitro) test will be used to infect cells with viruses taken from patients with or without disease. The mutation will be identified, the effect of this on the glycan measured, and the ability of the virus to infect and grow in the cells (virulence) noted. This study is important because if a clear link is found between the glycoprotein type and severity of disease much more specific tests to identify the at-risk babies can be developed. These babies can be treated with existing antiviral drugs. And, if the sugar molecules are shown to be important for virulence, new and safer drugs can be developed to fight the infection.

• REC name

  North West - Preston Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  15/NW/0368

• Date of REC Opinion

  24 Apr 2015

• REC opinion

  Favourable Opinion