Thursday, April 25, 2024
4/25/2024
SUMMARY Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the most frequent cause of congenital infection and a leading non-genetic cause of hearing loss and neurologic disabilities in children, yet no efficacious preventative vaccine is available. About 50% of infants exposed to HCMV in breast milk will become infected by 6 months of age providing a natural HCMV acquisition model with a unique opportunity to define antiviral immune responses that prevent transmission at the mucosal surface. Studies of T cell-mediated immunity in breast milk have been limited. In humans, little is known about the types of T cells and their function in breast milk and whether they play a role in the control and the transmission of pathogens to the infant. In addition, this information will allow us to begin to understand what effector T cell populations are desirable for effective vaccines and/or immunotherapies. This knowledge is especially pertinent in the context of HCMV transmission to the infant via breast milk because this is a unique in vivo model of natural HCMV acquisition in humans. Lastly, these studies will also add new information to the study of human mucosal immunology. !
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
