Dissecting the Impact of a Maternal Helminth Infection on Offspring Antiviral Defense

Abstract

The development of the immune system begins in utero and maternal exposures to pathogens during pregnancy and lactation influence long-term immunity in offspring, impacting their life-long susceptibility to infection and inflammation. The hygiene hypothesis suggests that modern hygiene practices may hinder proper immune training, raising the risk of immune disorders. Building on this, my thesis investigates how maternal exposure to helminths enhances antiviral immunity in offspring. Specifically, I examined the effects of maternal helminth infection on offspring responses to influenza by monitoring clinical symptoms, immune responses, and inflammatory markers following infection. My findings show that a maternal helminth infection confers protection against influenza in offspring by reducing viral load and lung inflammation. I also found that treatment with the helminth-derived metabolite indole-3-propionate (IPA) recapitulates these protective effects, although at a smaller magnitude. This confirms that the maternal gut microbiota acts as an immune educator during early development. These results build on prior work in our lab showing similar protective effects against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), indicating that maternal immune education of offspring is broadly important across respiratory viruses. My findings highlight the importance of how maternal microbial exposures influence offspring immune development and underscore the potential of microbiota-derived metabolites to promote tissue immunity. This research provides new insights into maternal-offspring immune education and its implications for maternal and child health in an increasingly hygienic world.