Disease CMV

Benedict Lab

Christopher Benedict, Ph.D., studies the strategies that viruses use to escape detection by our immune system.

CMV Interfaces with The Trail Cytokine System

We have recently discovered a novel connection between the TNF-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL) cytokine system and CMV. TRAIL is a TNF-family cytokine that can bind to several receptors (TRAIL receptor- 1, 2 ,3 and 4), of which two (R1…

T Cell Immunity and CMV

HCMV-specific CD8 T cells protect bone marrow transplant patients when used in cellular immunotherapy, and their long-term maintenance is enhanced by CD4 T cells. Importantly, a robust HCMV-specific CD4 T cell response strongly correlates with protection against congenital infection and…

CMV Targets the Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor BTLA

Virulent isolates of CMV encode the ul144 orf, and we identified UL144 as an orthologue of the herpesvirus entry mediator (HVEM), a member of the TNF receptor superfamily. When the immune checkpoint inhibitor B and T lymphocyte attenuator (BTLA) was…