# CNS-Derived Fetal Extracellular Vesicles for the Non-Invasive Diagnosis of Fetal CNS CMV Infection

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR HOUSTON · 2021 · $248,868

## Abstract

Abstract
Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection affects 1 in every 150 infants born in the US and is
responsible for more long-term sequelae than either Down syndrome or Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.
Despite this, there are no current diagnostic methods to individualize early treatment towards
those pregnancies most likely to benefit nor existing methods to non-invasively follow treatment
efficacy. Traditional methods of ultrasound and amniocentesis delay accurate diagnosis of
congenital CMV until mid-gestation and may not detect fetal infection early enough to prevent
developmental sequelae. Exosomes/extracellular vesicles are nanovesicles that package and
protect proteins and freely cross the blood brain barrier and the placenta bearing specific and
discriminatory surface markers from their cell of origin. Purification of vesicles from maternal blood
using markers unique to the fetal brain non-invasive evaluation of neurologic morbidity from CMV
infection. We hypothesize that nanovesicles can be isolated from maternal serum that contain
both protein markers of neurologic injury and inflammation and miRNA markers specific to
mechanisms of CMV. We further hypothesize that changes in exosome levels of these target
biomarkers will correlate with clinical outcomes. Successful completion of the aims of this
proposal has to potential to transform the clinical approach to congenital viral infections.
Nanovesicles may be able to detect pre-clinical injury prior to the development of ultrasound
findings – enabling earlier treatment prior to irreversible damage and therefore potentially
increasing the effectiveness of any treatment strategy. The results would determine if novel
assays developed under this proposal can be used to predict morbidity, clinically to counsel
parents and in future therapeutic trials to follow response. The ultimate goal is to guide
individualized treatment in affected pregnancies while limiting unnecessary drug exposure/side
effects in unaffected pregnancies.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10360982
- **Project number:** 1R21HD107499-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR HOUSTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Laura Goetzl
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $248,868
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-09-23 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10360982

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10360982, CNS-Derived Fetal Extracellular Vesicles for the Non-Invasive Diagnosis of Fetal CNS CMV Infection (1R21HD107499-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10360982. Licensed CC0.

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