Maternal and Infant Immunity: Current Trends in Vaccinology

Dear Colleagues,

Neonatal, infant, and maternal morbidity and mortality remain a significant global health concern. Neonatal immune system development starts in utero and is characterized by a Th2 predominance, which promotes a pro-tolerogenic response that enables the delivery of a viable fetus. The infant immune system is shaped by both intrauterine exposures (e.g., maternal immunity and vaccines) and the postnatal environment. Although the details of immunological control/suppression or the inflammatory response throughout pregnancy remain poorly characterized, it is known that certain infectious, inflammatory, and autoimmune conditions alter the maternal immune system. Transplacental transfer of maternal antibodies provides some protection to neonates and may also affect the infants’ immune response to vaccines. Therefore, successful neonatal and maternal immunization requires an adequate understanding of the immunology of the maternal–fetal interface, immune ontogeny, the effect of different pregnancy states on maternal/fetal immune ontogeny, and correlates of vaccine-induced protection.

In this Special Issue, we invite authors to submit original research articles or reviews that focus on the following topics:

• Studies on the immunology of the maternal-fetal interface as it applies to vaccine development.
• Studies that examine how the pregnant immune system is altered by maternal immunization, infection, inflammation, or autoimmune states, including post-partum-specific considerations regarding vaccine development and maternal/neonatal immunizations.
• Studies that identify correlates of vaccine-induced protection, including neonatal/infant and maternal immunizations.
• Studies on preventative vaccines that impact newborns, children under the age of five, and pregnancy-related morbidity and mortality, including registered and non-registered clinical trials.

Dr. Oludare A. Odumade
Dr. Olubukola T. Idoko
Dr. Asimenia Angelidou
Dr. Kinga K. Smolen
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Vaccines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• adaptive immunity
• innate immunity
• immunization
• infant
• maternal
• newborn
• omics
• vaccine