Cytomegalovirus and Cardiovascular Disease: A Hypothetical Role for Viral G-Protein-Coupled Receptors in Hypertension

Research output: Contribution to journalReviewResearchpeer-review

  • Gisele F. Bomfim
  • Fernanda Priviero
  • Emma Poole
  • Rita C. Tostes
  • John H. Sinclair
  • Stamou, Dimitrios
  • Mark J. Uline
  • Mark R. Wills
  • R. Clinton Webb

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a member of the β-herpesviruses and is ubiquitous, infecting 50%-99% of the human population depending on ethnic and socioeconomic conditions. CMV establishes lifelong, latent infections in their host. Spontaneous reactivation of CMV is usually asymptomatic, but reactivation events in immunocompromised or immunosuppressed individuals can lead to severe morbidity and mortality. Moreover, herpesvirus infections have been associated with several cardiovascular and post-transplant diseases (stroke, atherosclerosis, post-transplant vasculopathy, and hypertension). Herpesviruses, including CMV, encode viral G-protein-coupled receptors (vGPCRs) that alter the host cell by hijacking signaling pathways that play important roles in the viral life cycle and these cardiovascular diseases. In this brief review, we discuss the pharmacology and signaling properties of these vGPCRs, and their contribution to hypertension. Overall, these vGPCRs can be considered attractive targets moving forward in the development of novel hypertensive therapies.

Original languageEnglish
JournalAmerican Journal of Hypertension
Volume36
Issue number9
Pages (from-to)471-480
Number of pages10
ISSN0895-7061
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2023

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of American Journal of Hypertension, Ltd. All rights reserved.

    Research areas

  • blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases, chemokine receptors, cytomegalovirus, hypertension, US28, viral G-protein-coupled receptors

ID: 389415696