Human Cytomegalovirus Infection and Embryonic Malformations: The Role of the <i>Wnt</i> Signaling Pathway and Management Strategies.

Xiao Mei HAN; Bao Yi ZHENG; Zhi Cui LIU; Jun Bing CHEN; Shu Ting HUANG; Lin XIAO; Dong Feng WANG; Zhi Jun LIU

Return

Human Cytomegalovirus Infection and Embryonic Malformations: The Role of the Wnt Signaling Pathway and Management Strategies.

Author: Xiao Mei HAN ¹ ; Bao Yi ZHENG ² ; Zhi Cui LIU ³ ; Jun Bing CHEN ⁴ ; Shu Ting HUANG ¹ ; Lin XIAO ¹ ; Dong Feng WANG ⁵ ; Zhi Jun LIU ⁶
Author Information

1. School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang 261053, Shandong, China.
2. School of Clinical Medicine, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang 261053, Shandong, China.
3. Child Health and Development Center, Qingdao Women and Children's Hospital, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266034, Shandong, China.
4. Department of Liver Surgery & Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University; Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Shanghai 200032, China.
5. Laboratory of Morphology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang 261053, Shandong, China.
6. Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang 261053, Shandong, China;Weifang Key Laboratory of Collaborative Innovation of Intelligent Diagnosis and Treatment and Molecular Diseases, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang 261053, Shandong, China.
Publication Type:Review
Keywords: Congenital cytomegalovirus infection; Embryonic development; Human cytomegalovirus; Malformation of embryo; Wnt signaling pathway; β-catenin
MeSH: Humans; Cytomegalovirus Infections/virology*; Wnt Signaling Pathway; Pregnancy; Female; Cytomegalovirus/physiology*; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/virology*; Congenital Abnormalities/virology*; Animals
From: Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2025;38(9):1142-1149
CountryChina
Language:English
Abstract: Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) poses a significant risk of neural damage during pregnancy. As the most prevalent intrauterine infectious agent in low- and middle-income countries, HCMV disrupts the development of neural stem cells, leading to fetal malformations and abnormal structural and physiological functions in the fetal brain. This review summarizes the current understanding of how HCMV infection dysregulates the Wnt signaling pathway to induce fetal malformations and discusses current management strategies.