IMMUNOLOGY2026™ Conference Recordings For Attendees-Maternal-offspring immune partnerships

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The talk explored how maternal immunity changes during pregnancy and lactation, and how a mother’s environment shapes offspring immunity. In the first half, the speaker showed that lactation causes major remodeling in the small intestine, especially a strong increase in eosinophils in the proximal gut. These eosinophils drive changes in intestinal stem cells, increase goblet cells, boost mucus production, and enhance protection against bacterial infections such as Yersinia, Listeria, and Salmonella. Remarkably, this protective state can persist long after lactation ends.<br /><br />In the second half, the speaker described how maternal helminth infection can protect offspring from respiratory viruses. This effect was not due to antibodies, but instead depended on changes in the maternal microbiota passed through lactation. Those microbes increased tryptophan-derived metabolites, especially indole-3-propionate (IPA), which stimulated antiviral responses in the lung. Giving IPA directly to newborn mice protected them from RSV and influenza. Similar microbiome and metabolite patterns were observed in humans from helminth-endemic regions, suggesting the mechanism may be conserved.<br /><br />Overall, the talk emphasized that reproduction is not only a vulnerable period, but also one in which mothers and offspring gain adaptive immune benefits.

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Date April 16, 2026 9:21 AM - 9:54 AM

Room 253

Session Major Symposium A: Early Life Immune Development and Function

Speaker Ai Ing Lim

Track Hematopoiesis and Immune System Development (HEM)

Year 2026

Keywords

maternal immunity

lactation

eosinophils

intestinal remodeling

helminth infection

microbiota metabolites

indole-3-propionate

April 16, 2026 9:21 AM - 9:54 AM

253

Major Symposium A: Early Life Immune Development and Function

Ai Ing Lim

Hematopoiesis and Immune System Development (HEM)

2026