{"id":161893,"date":"2026-05-14T10:24:55","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T09:24:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kidneyresearchuk.org\/?p=161893"},"modified":"2026-06-09T13:36:06","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T12:36:06","slug":"a-new-approach-to-cmv-vaccination-for-kidney-transplant-patients","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kidneyresearchuk.org\/2026\/05\/14\/a-new-approach-to-cmv-vaccination-for-kidney-transplant-patients\/","title":{"rendered":"A new approach to CMV vaccination for kidney transplant patients"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n\r\n\t\t\r\n\t

Professor Matthew Reeves from University College London\u00a0has been awarded a \u00a3115,000 Professor Michael Nicholson PhD studentship to develop new ways of making vaccines for human cytomegalovirus<\/a> (CMV), to protect kidney transplant patients.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\t

Immune responses from vaccinations<\/h2>\r\n

Vaccines protect us from infectious diseases by providing the immune system with information about the virus before we are infected by the virus itself. The immune system is\u00a0then\u00a0ready to respond faster to the infection making it less likely to cause disease. Vaccination is not just about making an immune response but making the right immune response that will protect us.\u00a0This relies on the vaccine being efficient at giving the immune system the right information about the virus\u00a0that\u00a0it\u00a0may have to respond to in the future.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\t

Kidney transplant patients are vulnerable to cytomegalovirus infection<\/h2>\r\n

Professor Matthew Reeves and the team are interested in human cytomegalovirus (CMV), a common virus that currently infects over half of the world’s population.\u00a0It\u00a0is part of the herpes group of viruses, closely related to the viruses that cause cold sores,\u00a0chickenpox\u00a0and glandular fever.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

It becomes a problem in people who have weaker immune systems like kidney transplant patients\u00a0because the drugs that protect their new kidney (called immunosuppressants) weaken their immune system. For these individuals, CMV can cause serious illness and increase the risk of kidney rejection.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

While antiviral medications are available to manage CMV, vaccinating patients before transplant, when their immune system is still strong, could offer an\u00a0additional\u00a0way to help protect them\u00a0and avoid side effects of\u00a0using\u00a0antiviral drugs.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

Professor Matthew Reeves commented:\u00a0“We are exploring whether vaccinating patients prior to transplantation could mean antiviral drugs are\u00a0needed less often and the worry around CMV infection is reduced for transplant patients.\u00a0There’s\u00a0a critical window after transplant, when patients are highly immunosuppressed, and\u00a0that’s\u00a0when we most need to protect them. By building a CMV-specific immune response ahead of time, we hope to help safeguard patients during this particularly vulnerable period.”\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\t

mRNA vaccines<\/h2>\r\n

mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) is a molecule found naturally in the body that acts as a messenger, carrying instructions from DNA to produce\u00a0the\u00a0proteins\u00a0that are\u00a0essential for life.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

mRNA vaccines can be made very quickly against\u00a0viruses\u00a0and are effective promoting immune responses that protect us.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

However, these vaccines can be\u00a0challenging\u00a0to store and transport as they need to be kept at very cold temperatures\u00a0which makes them\u00a0very expensive.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

\r\n\t\t\t\t\"Female