We showed that WT-HCMV infection to non-transformed HFFs, increased cell metabolic activity, cell proliferation, promoted rapid entry into G2-phase of cell cycle, resistance to apoptotic stimuli, enhanced anti-apoptotic gene expression (bcl2, birc3, prkce, survivin, xiap), and reduced expression of several pro-apoptotic gene (fadd, caspase-8, p21, tnfα) compared with ΔDUB-HCMV infection. Here, TNF is linked to cytomegalovirus infection.