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OHSU research suggests compound administered during some bone marrow transplants elevates risks

Research conducted at Oregon Health & Science University’s Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute may spur debate about the risks associated with administering a specific compound in some forms of bone-marrow transplantation. The research is published in the current edition of Cell Host and Microbe.

The VGTI research team, led by institute director Jay Nelson, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, studies human cytomegalovirus, a virus that may infect up to 80 percent of the American population. The exact percentage of infected citizens is unknown due to the fact that the virus causes minor symptoms or no symptoms at all in most healthy people. However, the virus can pose a significant risk in people whose immune system has been compromised, such as those infected with HIV, or patients who have had their immune systems suppressed through chemotherapy or with anti-rejection medications during transplantation.

Read rest of OHSU Press release here

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