Technology Opportunities

A valid predictive marker for non-transmitters

Highlights

• Fetal infection with Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most common intrauterine infection in the developed world.
• As only 40% of women infected with primary CMV transmit the virus to the fetus, a reliable predictive assay is essential.
• The inability to predict transmission results in numerous blood tests during pregnancy, amniocentesis sampling and unnecessary pregnancy terminations.
• Our assay is based on the results obtained by cytokine screening.
• A correlation was found between maternal CMV-specific T cells response and fetal transmission.

Our Innovation

• A simple, reliable and non-invasive assay that can predict CMV maternal-fetal transmission.

Key Features

• 100% negative predictive value.
• Positive predicting value of 75%.
• Valid predictive marker for non-transmitters.

Development Milestones

• Cytokines secretion was measured upon stimulation of whole blood from 36 pregnant women with primary CMV infection. Statistical analysis of the CMV-specific T cells response showed a significant correlation with transmission.

The Opportunity

• CMV infection is the most common congenital infection in the developed world, occurs in as many as 2.2% of live births, and is associated with significant long term morbidity and high public expenses. A reliable assay predicting transmission may reduce delivery of affected newborns.