Anticytomegalovirus Peptides Point to New Insights for CMV Entry Mechanisms and the Limitations of In Vitro Screenings

Abstract

In the absence of an effective vaccine to prevent HCMV infections, alternative interventions must be developed. Prevention of viral entry into susceptible cells is an attractive alternative strategy. Here we report that heparan sulfate-binding peptides effectively inhibit entry into fibroblasts of in vitro- derived CMVs and partially inhibit in vivo- derived CMVs. This includes the inhibition of urine-derived HCMV (uCMV), which is highly resistant to antibody neutralization. While these antiviral peptides are highly effective at inhibiting cell-free virus, they do not inhibit MCMV cell-to-cell spread. This underscores the need to understand the mechanism of cell-to-cell spread and differences between in vivo -derived versus in vitro- derived CMV entry to effectively prevent CMV’s spread.