05.04.2018        SEMINAR

KFO296 - MS & PREGNANCY | 16:15

Mounting evidence suggests that the required immune regulation during pregnancy is not simply a general ‘immunosuppressive state’, but modulates the way the adaptive immune system, specifically T cells, respond to self and foreign antigens. Intriguing clues to the importance of this immune modulation come from clinical observations in autoimmune diseases including multiple sclerosis (MS). Several studies have shown that inflammatory disease activity and risk for MS relapses decreases throughout pregnancy, but re-bounds after delivery. The reduction of relapse rate in the third trimester is estimated to reach up to 80%, which is a far larger reduction in disease activity than that achieved by currently available MS therapies. Interestingly, in the MS animal model, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (in short EAE), pregnant mice are also protected from disease but show exacerbated neuroinflammation after delivery.The aim of this project is to understand the mechanisms responsible for pregnancy mediated immune regulation and its benefit on maternal autoimmunity. Based on our preliminary data, we hypothesize that the pathways mediating tolerance against fetal antigens during pregnancy also affect responses against self-antigens, thereby ameliorating autoimmune diseases. Driven by cell-mediated and/or hormonal regulation, this is presumed to result in a shift in the maternal T cell repertoire and temporary induction of antigen-specific immune tolerance.

Standort: Campus Forschung N27 , Etage: EG, Raum: SR 14
16.15 bis 17.00 Uhr