Advances in Maternal-Fetal/Neonatal Interactions: Implications for Infant Immunity and Long-Term Health
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Immunology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 July 2026 | Viewed by 2
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Maternal–fetal and maternal–neonatal interactions play a key role in establishing infant immunity and long-term health. Beginning in utero and continuing through the postnatal period, these interactions involve multiple mechanisms that shape immune development, microbial colonization, and physiological stability.
Maternal–fetal interactions are fundamental for the development of neonatal immunity. During pregnancy, the maternal immune system tolerates the semi-allogeneic fetus and actively shapes its immune development by transferring antibodies, immune cells, cytokines, and microbial metabolites across the placenta. These maternal signals also induce epigenetic modifications—including DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNA regulation—in fetal immune cells and tissues, thereby programming gene expression patterns that influence immune maturation, tolerance, and responsiveness to pathogens
Postnatally, breastfeeding delivers bioactive compounds and microRNAs that further modify the infant’s epigenome, supporting immune maturation and reducing the risk of allergic and autoimmune diseases.
Disruptions in these finely tuned maternal–fetal/neonatal interactions—due to maternal infection, inflammation, or altered microbiota—can adversely affect infant immune programming and increase the risk of infection and immune-mediated disorders
This Special Issue aims to compile the most recent research on the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying interactions between the mother, fetus, and newborn. We seek to elucidate the signaling pathways, epigenetic modifications, and receptor-ligand interactions that form the basis for immune development and long-term offspring health. Original research articles and reviews that investigate these fundamental molecular processes are welcome.
I look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Monika Słupecka-Ziemilska
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- immune development
- microbiome
- epigenetic mechanisms
- autoimmune diseases
- breastfeednig
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