The Impact of Normal Microbial Exposure on Vertical Transfer of Maternal Immunity
Newborn infants have an immature immune system, making them more susceptible to infections compared to adults. It is important to note that maternal immunity can provide extra immune support to newborns through vertical transfer like specific antibodies. However, these maternal immune cells in infant immune responses and infant immune development are not well-researched enough. The project will be looking at mice in a New Microbial Exposure environment and a Specific Free Pathogen environment. The small intestines of the mice will be analyzed under a fluorescent microscope or flow cytometry to categorize the type of immune cells and their location of them. The hypothesis is that the mice conceived in the NME environment will have increased vertical transfer of maternal immune cells in the small intestine than mice maintained in the SPF environment.