A University of Cambridge study has identified compounds that could disable cytomegalovirus in the donor kidney before surgery takes place.
A study from the University of Cambridge and funded by Kidney Research UK has identified two drug-like compounds that could disable cytomegalovirus (CMV), a significant infection risk for kidney transplant patients, in the donor kidney before surgery takes place.
This would improve transplant outcomes by preventing an infection before it starts.
CMV is a common virus carried by approximately 60% of people in the UK. For most people, it causes few symptoms. But for kidney transplant patients, whose immune systems are weakened by anti-rejection drugs, CMV infection can lead to serious illness, organ damage, or even transplant rejection.
“This is a particularly important window to intervene,” said Emma Poole, associate professor in Cambridge’s Division of Virology.
“Transplant patients are immunosuppressed, and that gives viruses like CMV an opportunity to become active again. We’re exploring whether these new compounds can safely neutralise the virus inside the donor kidney – before it ever reaches the recipient,” she added.
Lockdown
There are currently no vaccines for CMV, and existing antivirals are limited. They often cause side effects and fail to target the virus when it lies dormant. When CMV is latent, it hides inside cells and escapes detection by both the immune system and antiviral drugs.
The new research takes a different approach. It uses compounds to block CMV from reactivating and lock it into a dormant state inside the kidney before transplantation. Normothermic perfusion allows donated kidneys to be kept functioning on a temperature-controlled machine while blood-like fluids and nutrients are pumped through them. Under these conditions, the compounds created by the team can be introduced and their effects closely studied.
The study could lay the foundation for a pre-transplant treatment that reduces the risk of CMV complications without relying on toxic antivirals post-surgery, improving patient quality of life while decreasing the risk of illness and transplant rejection.
“If the results of our studies are promising, they could pave the way for further development and, ultimately, clinical trials – bringing us closer to a future where we stop CMV before it can ever cause harm,” said Poole.
