Die Wirkungsweise des ZAP-Proteins bei Cytomegalievirus-Infektionen

The repertoire of antiviral drugs and vaccines for many viral infections is astonishingly small. No licensed vaccine against human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) exists to protect risk groups. Thus, there is an urgent need to better understand the complex interplay between HCMV and its host and to identify effective intervention strategies. Recently, we identified the cellular ZAP protein as an important antiviral factor during HCMV infection: it binds specific viral transcripts and targets them for degradation. Further insights into the molecular details may improve targeted antiviral drug design.