A "made in Padua" contribution to the treatment of CMV in transplants
15.04.2025
An international and multidisciplinary group of experts in CMV (cytomegalovirus infection) and transplantation, convened under the aegis of the Transplantation Society, has drafted guidelines that provide directions, care, and therapies to transplant centres worldwide.
Thanks to the participation of Davide Abate, the sole Italian researcher in the team of 52 experts from around the world, these new international directives on cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in transplant patients, recently published by the prestigious journal "Transplantation", also bear the mark of "made in Padua". Davide Abate is, in fact, part of the Microbiology and Virology Unit at the University Hospital of Padua and is a professor of Microbiology at the Department of Molecular Medicine at the University of Padua.
As he himself explains, «Cytomegalovirus has been dubbed "the troll of transplants", a rather unflattering but fitting title considering it is the main cause of potential illness in the post-transplant phase» and he specifies that «In the new guidelines, we have indicated solutions and therapies to best contain this infection». We are thus in the midst of a significant modernisation of the management of cytomegalovirus infections post-organ transplant.
Indeed, CMV has historically been one of the most common infections among solid organ transplant recipients and can cause severe diseases, negatively affecting graft function in both the short and long term. However, recent developments, ranging from understanding host-virus interactions to optimal prevention and treatment strategies, have allowed for an increasingly scientific and evidence-based approach against CMV.
The numerous advancements today are the result of years of basic and translational research, culminating in rigorous clinical studies conducted by the transplant community.
