Maternal microchimerism transfers cellular immunity to offspring

项目总结/摘要 在哺乳动物发育过程中，母亲和胎儿之间的双向经胎盘细胞交换普遍存在。 怀孕母乳喂养可以进一步将细胞从母亲转移到后代。长期坚持 这些遗传上的外来细胞导致微嵌合体。除了生殖适应性， 母体微嵌合细胞的功能。考虑到快速的生理变化发生在 在围产期，这些细胞有可能改变后代的发育轨迹。产妇 微嵌合细胞运输到发育中的胎儿的骨髓和淋巴器官。这些细胞 有可能提供对新生儿感染的保护，并有助于免疫系统的成熟。 新生儿发生败血症或其他严重感染的风险很高，仅感染就可导致 约占新生儿期所有死亡率的35%。我们已经建立了研究微嵌合体的工具， 特别是因为它涉及胎儿免疫系统的发育。需要进一步了解 新生儿的免疫力，以及它如何可能是由母体免疫系统塑造的。我们的总体假设是 母体微嵌合细胞提供了从母体垂直转移适应性细胞免疫的手段 给后代为了解决发育和免疫学中这个关键的未回答的领域，我们将利用临床 相关病原体单核细胞增生李斯特菌，导致孕妇严重感染， 新生儿败血症和脑膜炎，以及引起早产儿真菌败血症的白色念珠菌。 我们将探讨如何从母亲转移到胎儿的细胞免疫反应针对李斯特菌 或念珠菌影响新生儿感染的易感性。我们将进一步表征这些细胞的表型 以及它们的转移机制。这些研究的结果可以直接转化为治疗， 增强产前和产后的细胞免疫力。这对于高风险特别有帮助 为早产儿或先天性畸形儿提供预防感染的保护。 奖学金培训计划将在赞助商Sing Sing Way，M.D./Ph.D.的指导下进行，一个 传染病儿科医生和生殖免疫学领域的公认医生-科学家， 产前感染反过来，辛辛那提儿童医院是一个极好的免疫学研究机构， 生殖健康，在基础研究的转化和临床实施方面有良好的记录 发现。主要研究者是一名儿科医生-科学家，在 新生儿-围产期医学系。这项为期三年的重点资助将有助于加强他的培训， 通过为专门的研究时间和职业发展提供支持，医生科学家。

Project Summary/Abstract Bidirectional transplacental exchange of cells between mother and fetus occurs ubiquitously during mammalian pregnancy. Breastfeeding allows further transfer of cells from mother to offspring. The long-term persistence of these genetically foreign cells results in microchimerism. Aside from reproductive fitness, little is known about the function of maternal microchimeric cells. Given the rapid physiological changes occurring during the perinatal period, these cells have the potential to alter the developmental trajectory of progeny. Maternal microchimeric cells traffic to the bone marrow and lymphoid organs in the developing fetus. Thus, these cells have the potential to provide protection against neonatal infection and aid in maturation of the immune system. Neonates are at high risk of developing sepsis or other serious infections, and infection alone accounts for ~35% of all mortality in the neonatal period. We have established tools with which to study microchimerism, especially as it relates to the development of the fetal immune system. Further knowledge is needed regarding neonatal immunity and how it may be shaped by the maternal immune system. Our overall hypothesis is that maternal microchimeric cells provide a means of vertically transferring adaptive cellular immunity from mother to offspring. To address this key unanswered area in development and immunology, we will utilize the clinically relevant pathogens Listeria monocytogenes, which causes serious infections in pregnant mothers as well as sepsis and meningitis in neonates, and Candida albicans, which causes fungal sepsis in premature neonates. We will interrogate how the transfer from mother to fetus of cellular immune responses directed against Listeria or Candida affect susceptibility to neonatal infection. We will further characterize the phenotype of these cells and their mechanism of transfer. The results of these studies could be directly translated to therapies aimed at boosting preconceptual and postnatal cellular immunity. This would be particularly helpful in high risk pregnancies to provide protection against infection in premature infants or those with congenital anomalies. The fellowship training plan will take place under the guidance of the sponsor, Sing Sing Way, M.D/Ph.D., an infectious disease pediatrician and established physician-scientist in the areas of reproductive immunology and prenatal infection. In turn, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital is a superb institution for the study of immunology and reproductive health with a proven track record of translational and clinical implementation of basic research discoveries. The primary investigator is a pediatric physician-scientist performing fellowship training in the Department of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine. This focused three-year grant will serve to bolster his training as a physician-scientist by providing support for dedicated research time and career development.