Genetic mutations could increase risk of cytomegalovirus infection

(Johns Hopkins Medicine) Experimenting with human cells and mice, Johns Hopkins researchers have found that a genetic mutation that alters a protein called NOD1 may increase susceptibility to human cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. CMV is a common pathogen that infects almost 60 percent of adults in the US, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and can lead to devastating developmental defects in fetuses and severe disease in people with weakened immune systems.
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - Category: Global & Universal Source Type: news