microRNA, a Subtle Indicator of Human Cytomegalovirus against Host Immune Cells

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a double-stranded DNA virus that belongs to the beta-herpesvirus family and infects 40-90% of the adult population worldwide. HCMV infection is usually asymptomatic in healthy individuals but causes serious problems in immunocompromised people. We restricted this narrative review (PubMed, January 2022) to demonstrate the interaction and molecular mechanisms between the virus and host immune cells with a focus on HCMV-encoded miRNAs. We found a series of HCMV-encoded miRNAs (e.g., miR-UL112 and miR-UL148D) are explicitly involved in the regulation of viral DNA replication, immune evasion, as well as host cell fate. MiRNA-targeted therapies have been explored for the treatment of atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and hepatitis C virus infection. It is feasible to develop an alternative vaccine to restart peripheral immunity or to inhibit HCMV activity, which may contribute to the antiviral intervention for serious HCMV-related diseases.