Cytomegalovirus Surface Protein Complex For Use in Vaccines and as a Drug Target

A subunit vaccine comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and at least one cytomegalovirus (CMV) protein or fragment thereof, selected from pUL128, pUL130, or a complex that includes pUL128 or pUL130, and, optionally, at least one other virus or cellular constituent of a CMV virion complex, wherein the vaccine induces an immune response against CMV in a recipient.

A nucleic acid vaccine comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and a vector comprising at least one nucleic acid molecule encoding a CMV protein or fragment thereof, selected from pUL128, pUL130, or a complex that includes pUL128 or pUL130, wherein the at least one nucleic acid molecule is expressed in a vaccine recipient, and wherein the expression product induces an immune response against CMV in the recipient.

Antibodies or epitope-binding fragments thereof, which specifically bind to a virus-coded protein from a CMV virion complex that includes pUL128 or pUL130, wherein the antibodies or epitope-binding fragments thereof inhibit binding of the CMV virion complex to a cellular receptor, or CMV infection of a cell, or both.

A method of inhibiting CMV infection of endothelial or epithelial cells, comprising inhibiting binding of a CMV virion complex comprising pUL128 or pUL130 to the cells, thereby inhibiting the CMV infection.

A method for screening compounds for the ability to inhibit entry of CMV into host cells, the method comprising:

• a) exposing host cells, in the presence or absence of a test compound, to or one or more cellular receptors of host cells to CMV virions or a component thereof selected from (i) pUL128 or a fragment thereof, (ii) pUL130 or fragment thereof, or (iii) a complex that includes pUL128 or pUL130, and, optionally, at least one other virus or cellular constituent of a CMV virion complex;
• and
• b) determining if the test compound interferes with binding of the CMV virions or component thereof to the host cells or cellular receptors, wherein the interfering of the binding is indicative that the test compound is capable of inhibiting the entry of the CMV into the host cells.

A method of screening compounds for their ability to neutralize human CMV infectivity of endothelial or epithelial cells, the method comprising:

• a) exposing the epithelial or endothelial cells to CMV virions comprising a virion complex that includes pUL128 or pUL130, in the presence or absence of a test compound;
• and
• b) determining if the test compound inhibits entry of the CMV into the host cells, the inhibition being indicative that the test compound is able to neutralize human CMV infectivity of the endothelial or epithelial cells.

A method of diminishing a CMV infection in a patient, comprising administering to the patient antibodies or epitope-binding fragments thereof, which specifically bind to a virus-coded protein in a CMV virion complex that includes pUL128 or pUL130, wherein the antibodies or epitope-binding fragments thereof inhibit binding of the human CMV virion complex to a cellular receptor, or CMV infection of a cell, or both, thereby diminishing the CMV infection in the patient.