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Maternal antibodies and developing blood–brain barrier

  • NEUROIMMUNOLOGY
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Abstract

We briefly review the protective role of maternal antibodies during fetal development and at early postnatal stages. We describe antibody delivery to fetuses, particularly in the context of the developing blood–brain barrier (BBB), and present the essential concepts regarding the adult BBB, together with existing information on the prenatal developing BBB. We focus on maternal antibody transfer to the developing brain and the consequences of the presence of pathogenic antibodies at early stages of brain development on subsequent brain dysfunction.

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Acknowledgments

This work is supported by National Institute of Health Grant 1PO1AI073693.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Center for Autoimmune and Musculoskeletal Disease, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, 350 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY, 11030, USA

    Czeslawa Kowal, Andrew Athanassiou, Huiyi Chen & Betty Diamond

  2. Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine, 500 Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY, 11549, USA

    Betty Diamond

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  1. Czeslawa Kowal
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  2. Andrew Athanassiou
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  4. Betty Diamond
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Correspondence to Czeslawa Kowal.

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Kowal, C., Athanassiou, A., Chen, H. et al. Maternal antibodies and developing blood–brain barrier. Immunol Res 63, 18–25 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12026-015-8714-5

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