Once infected – always infected: Herpes viruses lie dormant in the body and can be reactivated by certain circumstances. The herpes virus HCMV is particularly widespread, yet despite its impact, well-tolerated and effective antiviral drugs or vaccinations do not exist. However, a team of researchers from FMP and Charité has now found out a lot about the interaction between HCMV and its host cells, which could also be useful for the development of antiviral agents. The paper has just been published in the journal „Nature Microbiology“.