IMMUNOLOGY2024™ Conference Recordings-Immunology learned from mothers and babies

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The speaker, a pediatrician and father, highlights the tragic burden of infant mortality, especially deaths in the first month of life, and argues that pregnancy and pregnancy complications are key areas for research. He focuses on preterm birth and preeclampsia, emphasizing that pregnancy outcomes differ by parity: a first pregnancy carries higher risk, while later pregnancies are often safer unless the partner changes, suggesting an immune rather than purely genetic explanation.<br /><br />Using both human epidemiology and mouse models, the talk explores how mothers develop lasting fetal-specific regulatory T-cell tolerance and how microchimerism—persistent exchange of maternal and fetal cells—may help maintain immune memory across pregnancies. The speaker also describes “memory” in daughters toward maternal antigens, which can influence tolerance and even reproductive success.<br /><br />In the second half, he shifts to neonatal infection. The team shows that maternal immunity can protect newborns against intracellular pathogens like Listeria, not just through antibodies being passed to babies, but through pregnancy-induced changes in antibody chemistry. Specifically, pregnancy triggers antibody deacetylation via SIAE, altering function and expanding protection. The talk ends with a broader message: studying reproduction and pregnancy may reveal fundamental principles of immunology and inspire therapies to reduce maternal and infant disease.

Keywords

infant mortality

pregnancy complications

preterm birth

preeclampsia

maternal immunity

regulatory T cells

microchimerism