Blood and immune cell development in the chorion during early pregnancy
Official title: Hematopoietic and Immune Development in the Human Chorion
Funded at Vitalant · NIH-11306625 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research looks at how blood-forming stem cells and immune cells in the chorion (a fetal membrane) develop during the first trimester to understand how the placenta helps protect the baby.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Vitalant NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Scottsdale, United States) |
| Project start | April 11, 2022 |
| Project end | March 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $662,383 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI168322-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11306625 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be people in early (first-trimester) pregnancy or those able to donate early-pregnancy tissue through a partnering clinic.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not pregnant, who are past the first trimester, or who need immediate clinical treatment are unlikely to receive direct benefit from participating.
What this research studies
If you are in early pregnancy, researchers will use samples of the chorion (a membrane next to the placenta) to see what kinds of blood and immune cells are present. They will examine tissue across first-trimester ages using lab techniques that label and count cell types (flow cytometry) and grow blood precursor cells in culture. They will also test whether these human precursor cells can make blood cells by transplanting them into special immune-deficient mice to observe how they behave. The goal is to learn whether the chorion actively makes immune cells that help block infection and prevent the mother's immune system from rejecting the fetus.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new ways to prevent infections or immune complications in pregnancy by leveraging the chorion's natural immune functions.
How similar studies have gone: Previous lab studies have identified blood-forming cells in the placenta and chorion, but using transplant models to test whether chorionic cells make immune cells locally is a relatively new approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Vitalant
Scottsdale, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Muench, Marcus O — Vitalant
- Study coordinator: Muench, Marcus O
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.