How babies' T cells fight CMV before birth and in early childhood
T cell immunity to CMV in utero and in early childhood
Researchers will compare how T cells from infants and young children respond to CMV infections that occur before birth versus after birth.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11261091 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If your baby had CMV before birth or in early childhood, researchers will use banked blood samples from mothers and infants to study their immune cells over time. Scientists will focus on CD8 and gamma-delta T cells to see whether infant T cells become short-lived effector cells or develop into long-lived memory cells. They will measure viral levels alongside T cell types and functions to link immune patterns with how well the virus is controlled and with clinical outcomes. The work uses a large UCSF mother-infant cohort with longitudinal samples and laboratory immune assays.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are mothers and infants with confirmed congenital CMV infection or infants who acquired CMV during early childhood, especially those enrolled in the UCSF mother-infant cohort.
Not a fit: People without a history of congenital or early-childhood CMV infection are unlikely to directly benefit from this specific project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Understanding how infant T cells control CMV could point to new ways to prevent or treat congenital and early-childhood CMV and improve long-term outcomes.
How similar studies have performed: Mouse studies support the idea that fetal T cells favor short-lived effector programs and prior human work has described CMV-driven T cell changes, but applying these findings to predict infant outcomes is novel.
Where this research is happening
San Francisco, United States
- University of California, San Francisco — San Francisco, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Feeney, Margaret E — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Feeney, Margaret E
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 below.