# HCMV-specific Memory T cell Subsets and HCMV breast milk transmission

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · 2020 · $222,750

## Abstract

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.
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## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9954983
- **Project number:** 1R21AI151235-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM
- **Principal Investigator:** STEFFANIE SABBAJ
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $222,750
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-02-19 → 2022-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9954983

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9954983, HCMV-specific Memory T cell Subsets and HCMV breast milk transmission (1R21AI151235-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9954983. Licensed CC0.

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