New study identifies which specific sugar changes during pregnancy and how and when the change occurs
Pregnant women produce “superantibodies” to protect their newborns, and now scientists have discovered how they do it, which could open the door to improved treatments against deadly infections.
The study, which describes “a subtle” molecular change that allows the body’s most common antibody to assume an expanded protective role, is published in the journal Nature and is led by Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (Ohio, United States).
survive pathogens
Scientists discovered years ago that newborns depend on immune components transferred from their mothers to survive pathogens that begin to invade their bodies as soon as they are born.
Over time, a hospital statement describes, children develop their own immune systems, built through surviving natural exposures to viruses and bacteria, and augmented by a well-established set of childhood immunizations.
But in the meantime, it’s one of mothers’ most important gifts that keeps their babies safe: antibodies.
Now, this study offers a “striking” explanation of how those early days of maternally provided immunity actually work, and what that information could mean for preventing mortality and disability from a wide range of infectious diseases.
The results suggest that the boosted antibodies produced by pregnant mothers could be mimicked to create new drugs to treat diseases, as well as improved vaccines to prevent them.
Related news
The findings show that pregnancy changes the structure of certain sugars attached to antibodies, allowing them to protect babies from infection, explains Sing Sing Way.
The new study identifies which specific sugar changes during pregnancy and how and when the change occurs; specifically, there is a change (the loss of an acetyl group) in sialic acid, one of the sugars attached to antibodies.