# Role of maternal-fetal interface NK cells in pregnancy maintenance and congenital CMV transmission

> **NIH NIH R01** · WEILL MEDICAL COLL OF CORNELL UNIV · 2022 · $754,314

## Abstract

Abstract
Immune cells at the maternal/fetal interface play dual roles of orchestrating immune tolerance required for
pregnancy maintenance, while also protecting against placental pathogens, such as cytomegalovirus (CMV).
Specialized inhibitory immune cells, known as natural killer (NK) cells, are predominant and dynamic immune
cells populating the decidua throughout gestation. Yet, there is a major gap in our understanding of the role of
NK cells in protection of the fetus against immune rejection and pathogen invasion. The role of NK cells,
including recently identified cytomegalovirus (CMV)-specific memory NK cells, in the interplay between fetal
tolerance and protection against congenital CMV transmission is poorly defined. This study aims to define the
role of maternal NK cell populations in regulation of fetal tolerance and protection against placental CMV
transmission in the setting of chronic maternal CMV infection. Our group is uniquely equipped to dissect the
immunologic functions at the maternal-fetal interface with significant expertise in both a nonhuman primate
(NHP) model of pregnancy and placental CMV transmission as well as investigations of immune cells at the
maternal-fetal interface in human placenta and cord blood. The NHP model affords the opportunity to study the
immunology and physiology of pregnancy across the gestational stages through elective fetal harvest and
access to the immune cells at the maternal-fetal interface, as well as validated strategies for peripheral and
tissue depletion of effector NK cells in vivo. We hypothesize that maternal NK cells are critical to both
pregnancy maintenance and prevention of CMV reactivation in early pregnancy. Understanding this
intersection between maintaining immune tolerance while protecting against placental pathogens is critical to
developing immune-based strategies to reduce the morbidity and mortality resulting from adverse pregnancy
outcomes.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10392103
- **Project number:** 1R01HD103721-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** WEILL MEDICAL COLL OF CORNELL UNIV
- **Principal Investigator:** Amitinder Kaur
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $754,314
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-03-07 → 2027-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10392103

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10392103, Role of maternal-fetal interface NK cells in pregnancy maintenance and congenital CMV transmission (1R01HD103721-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10392103. Licensed CC0.

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