|
Purpose:
|
The following is the abstract of the manuscript associated with this data set:
During mammalian pregnancy, immune cells are vertically transferred from mother to fetus. The functional role of these maternal microchimeric cells (MMc) in the offspring is largely unknown. We established mouse models in which MMc frequencies are reduced, which enables functional assessment of MMc. Here we report a functional role of MMc in promoting fetal immune development. A key finding is the MMc-triggered preferential differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells in fetal bone marrow towards monocytes within the myeloid compartment. Neonatal mice with higher numbers of MMc and monocytes show an improved resilience against cytomegalovirus infection. Similarly, higher numbers of MMc in human cord blood are linked to a lower number of respiratory infections during the first year of life. Our data highlight the importance of MMc in promoting fetal immune development, subsequently averting the threats caused by early life exposure to pathogens.
|
