A new study from Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) and Weill Cornell Medicine highlights the need for additional vaccine targets to prevent the transmission of cytomegalovirus (CMV) from mother to baby during pregnancy.
CMV is a widespread virus that often causes no symptoms in adults but can lead to severe health issues in infants, such as hearing loss, developmental delays, and neurological impairments. An effective vaccine could stop these complications by preventing transmission during pregnancy.
Published in Science Translational Medicine, the study found that CMV can still be transmitted even when a key viral protein complex, previously thought to be essential for preventing cross-placental spread, is missing. This suggests that new vaccine targets must be identified.
Daniel Malouli, Ph.D., senior author of the study, emphasized that this research could guide the development of more effective vaccine targets. “We hope our work will lead to an effective vaccine,” he said.
Although CMV is typically harmless in adults, it can cause severe birth defects in infants when transmitted during pregnancy. The virus is the leading cause of congenital disabilities, including hearing loss and intellectual disabilities. According to the CDC, 1 in 200 babies in the U.S. are born with CMV, and 20% of them develop severe complications.
Despite decades of research, no effective CMV vaccine exists. Malouli stressed that understanding how CMV crosses the placenta in humans is crucial for developing a vaccine.
The study’s findings challenge existing vaccine strategies and suggest that new protein targets must be explored. The research team, including co-authors Sallie Permar, M.D., Ph.D., and Klaus Früh, Ph.D., tested a protein complex called the pentameric complex but found that CMV could still cross the placenta without it.
Future research will focus on identifying new vaccine targets and improving our understanding of how CMV affects the fetus during pregnancy.
Permar, a pediatrician, expressed hope for the future. “These findings bring us closer to developing a vaccine that can protect future generations,” she said.
Related topics:
