Claytus Davis

Pregnancy carries an immunological conundrum. Neither mother nor embryo
must react to the intimate presence of the non-self-other, yet both must be
protected from pathogens. On the mother’s side, the complex and focused
adjustments of her immune responses are studied intensively. In contrast,
those of the fetus are understudied; however, the consensus view is that fetal
responses are absent or attenuated. In our lab, we approach this less-studied
side of the interaction using a mouse model. We can directly introduce a virus
or immune triggers into the developing fetus at different stages and follow
the consequences and the fetal responses using a suite of molecular and
histological tools. The data clearly show that the consensus view is wrong. After
developing a functional placenta, the fetal innate immune system is much more
responsive than that of the adult. We are currently exploring the consequences
of this response in terms of viral infection of the fetus and signaling from fetus
to mother.

Laboratory location: Soroka Medical Center, Pathology Building, Room 351.

Contact: clay@bgu.ac.il