JC polyomavirus (JCV)

JC polyomavirus (JCV), also known as Human polyomavirus 2, is a small, non-enveloped, double-stranded DNA virus of the Polyomaviridae family (ICTV, 2022). It is widespread in the human population, with a seroprevalence of 50% to 80%, typically persisting as a latent infection in the kidneys and bone marrow (StatPearls, 2023). In the context of profound immunosuppression—often due to HIV/AIDS, hematologic malignancies, or treatment with potent immunomodulatory drugs like natalizumab—the virus can reactivate and migrate to the central nervous system (NEJM, 2010). Once in the brain, JCV infects and destroys oligodendrocytes, the cells responsible for producing myelin, leading to the rapidly progressive and often fatal demyelinating disease known as Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML) (NINDS, 2023). Therapeutic approaches are currently limited and primarily focus on the restoration of the patient's immune system, though experimental strategies include blocking viral entry via 5-HT2A receptors or enhancing T-cell activity using checkpoint inhibitors like pembrolizumab (Cortese et al., 2019).

Other names

John Cunningham virusHuman polyomavirus 2JCPyV

Inhibition of viral DNA polymerase, antagonism of 5-HT2A receptors to block viral entry, and PD-1 checkpoint inhibition to restore T-cell mediated viral clearance.