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. 2023:3:1106634.
doi: 10.3389/fviro.2023.1106634. Epub 2023 Feb 3.

Modeling of vertical transmission and pathogenesis of cytomegalovirus in pregnancy: Opportunities and challenges

Gregory W Kirschen  1 , Irina Burd  2
Affiliations

Modeling of vertical transmission and pathogenesis of cytomegalovirus in pregnancy: Opportunities and challenges

Gregory W Kirschen et al. Front Virol. 2023.

Abstract

In addition to facilitating nutrient, oxygen, and waste transfer between developing fetus and mother, the placenta provides important immune barrier function against infection. Elucidation of the complexity of placental barrier function at the maternal-fetal interface has been greatly aided through experimental model organism systems. In this review, we focus on models of vertical transmission of cytomegalovirus (CMV), a ubiquitous double-stranded DNA viruses whose vertical transmission during pregnancy can lead to devastating neurological and obstetric sequelae. We review the current evidence related to guinea pig and murine models of congenital CMV infection, discuss the possible translatability of a non-human primate model, and conclude with recently developed technology using human placental organoids.

Keywords: Hofbauer cell; T lymphocyte; congenital CMV infection; macrophage; natural killer cell; placental immunology.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Immune function of the placenta over gestational time and in response to primary CMV infection. (A) In the first trimester, uterine NK cells (uNK) remodel spiral arteries and defend against viral infections that threaten to invade into the chorionic villi. (B) In the second and third trimesters, numbers of uNK cells dwindle, leading increased placental susceptibility to primary CMV infection. Upon infection, placental T cells and antigen presenting cells (APCs) incudling dendritic cells, macrophages, and Hofbauer cells, recruit peripheral T lymphocytes, inducing placental inflammation.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Comparison of relative advantages and drawbacks of various models of vertical transmission. Shown above are depictions of the different model systems of congenital infection. Shown below is a table of the relative advantages and drawbacks of each model system, emphasizing immune system, genetic tractability, life cycle, and cost.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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