LaRue, I.Garcia, E.Martins, A.Spencer, J.Spencer, J.2024-05-142024-05-142024https://hdl.handle.net/11274/16162Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a member of the herpesvirus family that evades the host immune system and establishes life-long latency. While HCMV typically causes clinical disease only in immunocompromised people, it may contribute to chronic conditions, reduce immune function, and promote tumor progression. HCMV has been associated with invasive tumors and metastatic spreading in breast cancer. To investigate the impact of HCMV on breast cancer, we infected breast cancer cells and evaluated cell morphology using the Incucyte Live Cell Imaging System. While normal epithelial cells showed clear cytopathic effects following HCMV infection, breast cancer cells did not exhibit morphology changes or undergo cell lysis. These results suggest that HCMV infection may proceed differently in tumor cells compared to normal cells, possibly due to genetic mutations or abnormal tumor cell physiology. These findings demonstrate that HCMV infection of breast cancer cells has complex effects that may contribute to tumor progression. (Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Juliet Spencer) Supported by TWU Center for Student Research.en-USPresentation