A study by Western University sought to understand the risk of infection during pregnancy and its potential impact on the developing fetal brain.
The study focused on early developmental changes and how such changes may disrupt sensory processing abilities later in life similar to autism and psychotic disorders.
As posted in Brain, Behavior. & Immunity—Health, the researchers hypothesized the following, “Il15 may similarly act as a mediator of Polyinosinic:Polycytidylic (Poly I:C) maternal immune activation (MIA), given its role in the antiviral immune response.”
“Overall, our findings indicate that the lack of Il15 can leave offspring either more or less susceptible to Poly I:C MIA, depending on the phenotype in question,” the authors explained in their findings.
“Future studies should examine the contribution of fetal versus maternal Il15 in MIA to determine the precise developmental mechanisms underlying these changes.”
