Researchers have discovered that human fetal immune cells can proliferate in response to malaria infection in pregnant women, a finding that helps to demystify fetal immunity and potentially has implications for malaria control programs.
Malaria, one of the most widespread and costly infectious diseases, frequently infects pregnant women and accumulates in the placenta, resulting in what is known as placental malaria (PM). PM and other forms of pregnancy-associated malaria can cause complications such as low birth weight and are responsible for up to 100,000 deaths worldwide each year.
Previous research has indicated that foreign molecules from the malaria parasite could trigger responses from fetal T cells, but the extent of fetal responses against malaria and other diseases remain unknown. To better understand the impact of malaria exposure on the fetal immune system, the authors studied T cells in cord blood from 182 Ugandan infants who were born to mothers with and without PM. Infants born to mothers with PM harbored higher levels of memory fetal T cells and T cells expressing inflammatory molecules, which proliferated in response to malaria antigens.
The researchers then followed the same children until two years of age and observed that infants who displayed a higher frequency of T cells due to PM exposure had a 70% lower incidence of clinical malaria compared to infants with lower T cell frequencies, suggesting that PM exposure could generate protection against malaria in childhood.
Future studies should assess the nature and durability of this protective effect, the authors say.
http://stm.sciencemag.org/content/10/463/eaat6176
Exposure to malaria before birth may boost childhood immunity
- 1,060 views
- Added
Edited
Latest News
Why killer T cells lose ene…
By newseditor
Posted 19 Mar
Brain hormone regulate both…
By newseditor
Posted 17 Mar
Blocking long non-coding RN…
By newseditor
Posted 17 Mar
Artificial intelligence and…
By newseditor
Posted 17 Mar
Blood-brain barrier protein…
By newseditor
Posted 17 Mar
Other Top Stories
Blastocyst complementation to generate kidneys in rats from stem cells
Read more
Stem cell derived 3D brain cancer cell organoid model for drug test…
Read more
A centrosome protein regulates brain stem cells
Read more
Nicotine may harm human embryos at the single-cell level
Read more
How cellular context determines the signaling pathway
Read more
Protocols
A mouse DRG genetic toolkit…
By newseditor
Posted 17 Mar
An optogenetic method for t…
By newseditor
Posted 13 Mar
Profiling native pulmonary…
By newseditor
Posted 08 Mar
Neuromuscular organoids mod…
By newseditor
Posted 06 Mar
In situ combinatorial synth…
By newseditor
Posted 03 Mar
Publications
Acetyl-CoA carboxylase obst…
By newseditor
Posted 19 Mar
Crosstalk between TPC2 and…
By newseditor
Posted 19 Mar
Neutrophil-inflicted vascul…
By newseditor
Posted 19 Mar
Synaptopathy: presynaptic c…
By newseditor
Posted 18 Mar
Allergic Rhinitis
By newseditor
Posted 18 Mar
Presentations
Hydrogels in Drug Delivery
By newseditor
Posted 12 Apr
Lipids
By newseditor
Posted 31 Dec
Cell biology of carbohydrat…
By newseditor
Posted 29 Nov
RNA interference (RNAi)
By newseditor
Posted 23 Oct
RNA structure and functions
By newseditor
Posted 19 Oct
Posters
A chemical biology/modular…
By newseditor
Posted 22 Aug
Single-molecule covalent ma…
By newseditor
Posted 04 Jul
ASCO-2020-HEALTH SERVICES R…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar
ASCO-2020-HEAD AND NECK CANCER
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar
ASCO-2020-GENITOURINARY CAN…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar