25th November, 2024 14:00 CET

Fetomaternal immune priming in the context of the Hygiene Hypothesis and the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD)

with

Prof. Dr. Clarissa Prazeres da Costa

Co-Leader of the Center for Global Health
Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie,
Immunologie und Hygiene
Technical University Munich

Online Seminar via Zoom or in person
Link and password upon request
Please write an e-mail to: swetlana.gerkhardt@med.uni-augsburg.de

Abstract:
During my talk I will discuss how helminth infections, being abundant in low- and middle-income countries, especially in Sub Saharan Africa, are potent immune modulators and thus suppress bystander immune responses such as against allergens. Thereby they are discussed to contribute as "old friends" to the hygiene hypothesis. Furthermore, such chronic infections also modulate the immune system of the offspring and could thus enforce the geographical differences in the occurrence of allergies in a transgenerational manner. Finally, I will highlight our very recent studies on the environmental/geographical impact Fetomaternal immune priming in the context of the Hygiene Hypothesis and the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) utero on the immune system at birth.