Cytomegalovirus
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a common virus that can infect almost anyone. Most people don’t know they have CMV because it rarely causes problems in healthy people. But if you’re pregnant or have a weakened immune system, CMV is cause for concern. A woman who develops an active CMV infection during pregnancy can pass the virus to her baby potentially leading to developmental problems. For people with compromised immunity, especially due to organ transplantation, CMV infection can be fatal.
At The Native Antigen Company we offer an extensive range of reagents for CMV research. These include preparations of native purified virus, recombinant proteins expressed in mammalian cells, and a panel of related antibodies.
CMV background
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a human specific double stranded DNA virus, belonging to the Herpesviridae family. The CMV virus is ubiquitous and CMV infection is globally widespread. The virus can be transmitted through direct contact with infected bodily fluids, or though contact with virus infected transplant and transfusion material. CMV can also be transferred in utero from mother to foetus during pregnancy resulting in congenital CMV (cCMV) infection of the newborn.In healthy adults and children, CMV infection is self-limiting with most cases being asymptomatic or presenting with mild, non-specific flu-like or mononucleosis-like symptoms. However, CMV can cause clinical disease in all organs of immunocompromised patients and congenital complications in the babies born to infected mothers.Congenital CMV infection represents a significant health risk to the newborn. A child born with CMV infection may experience physical disability, learning difficulties, visual impairment and deafness. Currently, there is no licensed vaccine to prevent CMV infection. Therefore, attempts to reduce the risk of cCMV infection by improving awareness, behaviour, screening, diagnosis and the treatment of symptomatic cases may help to the health burden caused by cCMV (CDC).
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) and congenital CMV infection.
Cytomegalovirus Antigens
At The Native Antigen Company we have developed a range of CMV products that are suitable for both IVD assay development and for specific vaccine R&D studies. These antigens include preparations from native virus alongside highly purified recombinant proteins expressed in mammalian cells.
Our recombinant antigens include the two key vaccine candidates for CMV, the so-called pentamer protein and Glycoprotein B
Cytomegalovirus Antibodies
Our CMV specific antibodies have been fully validated using antigens produced by The Native Antigen Company. The range includes CMV specific antibodies for glycoprotein B and CMV pentamer. The sheep anti-CMV pentamer antibody has been raised against recombinant CMV gH pentameric complex, expressed in mammalian cells, and has been shown to react with each of the components of the pentamer in Western blotting analysis. The mouse anti CMV glycoprotein B antibody, clone HCMV37, recognises a neutralising epitope on CMV glycoprotein B. It has been tested on recombinant CMV glycoprotein B, produced by the Native Antigen Company, and shown to bind effectively to these in direct ELISA.
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