CASP8 and cytomegalovirus infection: As we previously demonstrated, caspase-8 cleavage progresses rapidly in uninfected monocytes (22), our data here suggest minimal levels of cFLIPL in uninfected monocytes are not sufficient to block cleavage of procaspase-8 and that an increase in abundance following HCMV infection is necessary to prevent the initiation of the extrinsic apoptotic caspase cascade.