Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 12, 2025
Isolation of Leukocytes from the Murine Tissues at the Maternal-Fetal Interface
Published on: May 21, 2015
Synchronization of mothers and offspring promotes tolerance and limits allergy
Kathryn A Knoop1, Keely G McDonald1, Paige E Coughlin1
1Department of Internal Medicine and.
Insights
Maternal and infant timing is crucial for developing immune tolerance to food allergens. Synchronized early life feeding and microbial exposure establish long-lasting gut immunity, preventing allergies in children.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Pediatrics
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Allergic disorders are rising in children, linked to Th2 immune responses.
- Breastfeeding, early allergen introduction, and antibiotic avoidance reduce allergy risk.
- The critical early-life window for these protective effects remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the immunological mechanisms behind early-life protection against allergies.
- To identify a specific developmental interval for establishing immune tolerance to dietary antigens.
Main Methods:
- Identified a preweaning interval for dietary antigen assimilation by the colonic immune system.
- Studied maternal control of this interval via breast milk composition.
- Examined the role of naive T cell influx and regulatory T cell (Treg) development in the colon.
Main Results:
- A critical preweaning interval exists for developing antigen-specific colonic Tregs (pTregs).
- Maternal-offspring desynchronization during this interval led to Treg deficits and impaired tolerance.
- These deficits resulted in spontaneous Th2 responses and increased allergy risk.
- Deficits were rescued by transferring periweaning colonic pTregs or in vitro generated Tregs.
Conclusions:
- Maternal-offspring synchronization during a specific preweaning interval is essential for immune tolerance.
- This synchronization promotes the development of long-lived, diet-specific colonic Tregs.
- Disruptions can lead to allergies, highlighting the importance of early-life immune programming.
Abstract:
Allergic disorders, characterized by Th2 immune responses to environmental substances, are increasingly common in children in Western societies. Multiple studies indicate that breastfeeding, early complementary introduction of food allergens, and antibiotic avoidance in the first year of life reduces allergic outcomes in at-risk children. Why the benefit of these practices is restricted to early life is largely unknown. We identified a preweaning interval during which dietary antigens are assimilated by the colonic immune system. This interval is under maternal control via temporal changes in breast milk, coincides with an influx of naive T cells into the colon, and is followed by the development of a long-lived population of colonic peripherally derived Tregs (pTregs) that can be specific for dietary antigens encountered during this interval. Desynchronization of mothers and offspring produced durable deficits in these pTregs, impaired tolerance to dietary antigens introduced during and after this preweaning interval, and resulted in spontaneous Th2 responses. These effects could be rescued by pTregs from the periweaning colon or by Tregs generated in vitro using periweaning colonic antigen-presenting cells. These findings demonstrate that mothers and their offspring are synchronized for the development of a balanced immune system.
More Related Videos
09:09Generating a Reproducible Model of Mid-Gestational Maternal Immune Activation using PolyI:C to Study Susceptibility and Resilience in Offspring
Published on: August 17, 2022
05:31Noninvasive Sampling of Mucosal Lining Fluid for the Quantification of In Vivo Upper Airway Immune-mediator Levels
Published on: August 7, 2017
Related Concept Videos
01:20Special Features of Adaptive Immunity
The primary cell types involved in adaptive immunity are T cells and B cells. Each type has a unique role in defending the body against pathogens. T cells are responsible for cell-mediated immunity. They identify and eliminate infected cells directly,...
02:06Allergic Reactions
01:27Allergic Drug Reactions
01:22Development of Immunocompetence
The initial cells that migrate from the fetal thymus settle within the skin and epithelial tissues lining the mouth, digestive tract, and in females, the uterus and vagina. These cells, including skin-based dendritic cells, serve as antigen-presenting cells, playing a key role in T cell activation.
Subsequent T...
00:42Cross-reactivity
01:25Antiasthma Drugs: Mast Cell Stabilizers and Anti-IgE Drugs
Mast cell stabilizers, such as cromolyn (also known as sodium cromoglycate) and nedocromil (Tilade), are effective drugs in asthma management. These stabilizers hinder histamine release by skillfully obstructing the activation of mast cells and other cellular entities. Notably, they navigate this task without...