Kaist Researchers Link Placental Inflammation To Childhood Allergies

It is already well-known that erstwhile a mother experiences inflammation during pregnancy, her kid is much apt to create allergic diseases. Recently, a KAIST investigation squad became nan first successful nan world to observe that inflammation wrong nan placenta affects nan fetus's immune system, starring to nan kid exhibiting excessive allergic reactions aft birth. This study presents a caller anticipation for nan early prediction and prevention of allergic diseases specified arsenic pediatric asthma.

KAIST (President Kwang Hyung Lee) announced connected nan 4th of August that a investigation squad led by Professor Heung-kyu Lee from nan Department of Biological Sciences recovered that inflammation occurring during gestation affects nan fetus's accent consequence regularisation strategy done nan placenta. As a result, nan endurance and representation differentiation of T cells (key cells successful nan adaptive immune system) increase, which tin lead to stronger allergic reactions successful nan kid aft birth.

The investigation squad proved this done experiments connected mice that had excessive inflammation induced during pregnancy. First, they injected nan toxin constituent 'LPS (lipopolysaccharide),' a constituent known to beryllium a typical worldly that induces an inflammatory consequence successful nan immune system, into nan mice to origin an inflammatory consequence successful their bodies, which besides caused inflammation successful nan placenta.

It was confirmed that nan placental tissue, owed to nan inflammatory response, accrued a signaling constituent called 'Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-α),' and this constituent activated immune cells called 'neutrophils*', causing inflammatory harm to nan placenta. *Neutrophils: The astir abundant type of achromatic humor cells successful our bodies (40-75%), playing an important domiciled successful innate immunity and sidesplitting invading germs and fungi.

This harm modulated postnatal offspring accent response, starring to a ample secretion of accent hormone (glucocorticoid). As a result, nan offspring's T cells, which are responsible for immune memory, survived longer and had stronger representation functions.

In particular, nan representation T cells created done this process caused excessive allergic reactions erstwhile many times exposed to antigens aft birth. Specifically, erstwhile location particulate mite 'allergens' were exposed to nan airways of mice, a beardown eosinophilic inflammatory consequence and excessive immune activation were observed, pinch an summation successful immune cells important for allergy and asthma reactions.

This study is nan first successful nan world to place really a mother's inflammatory consequence during gestation affects nan fetus's allergic immune strategy done nan placenta." He added, "This will beryllium an important technological ground for processing biomarkers for early prediction and establishing prevention strategies for pediatric allergic diseases."

Professor Heung Kyu Lee 

The first writer of this study is Dr. Myeong Seung Kwon from nan KAIST Graduate School of Medical Science (currently a objective chap of gynecological oncology astatine Konyang University Hospital's Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology), and nan investigation results were published successful nan charismatic diary successful nan section of mucosal immunology, 'Mucosal Immunology,' connected July 1st. ※ Paper Title: Placental inflammation-driven T compartment representation statement promotes allergic responses successful offspring via endogenous glucocorticoids ※ DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mucimm.2025.06.006

This investigation was conducted arsenic portion of nan Basic Science Research Program and nan Bio-Medical Technology Development Program supported by nan Ministry of Science and ICT and nan National Research Foundation of Korea.