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Updated: May 22, 2026

Induction of Maternal Immune Activation in Mice at Mid-gestation Stage with Viral Mimic Poly(I:C)
Published on: March 25, 2016
Impact of prenatal immune system disturbances on brain development
Amrita Madhusudan1, Prisca Vogel, Irene Knuesel
1Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
Abstract:
As research into various aging-associated neurodegenerative disorders reveals their immense pathophysiological complexity, the focus is currently shifting from studying changes in an advanced disease state to investigations involving pre-symptomatic periods, possible aberrations in early life, and even abnormalities in brain development. Recent studies on the etiology of schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders revealed a profound impact of neurodevelopmental disturbances on disease predisposition, onset and progression. Here, we discuss how a prenatal immune challenge can affect the developing brain-with a selective focus on the impact on microglia, the brain's immune cells-and the implications for brain aging and its associated risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.
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