Using systems immunology to understand immune reprogramming during pregnancy and the transplacental transfer of antibodies from mother to child

Systems serology attempts to quantify the entire humoral response via functional and biophysical assays. In a collaborative systems serology project, we set out to define the rules that govern transfer of antibody functionality across placenta from mother to child. We examined paired maternal and cord blood of a cohort of mothers and children for their antigen-specific immune profiles including: (a) antibody subclasses, (b) glycan profiles and the incurred antibody dependent phagocytosis by neutrophils and monocytes, (c) cytotoxicity and secretion of cytokines and chemokines by natural killer (NK) cells, and (d) complement deposition. Using Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLSDA), we first defined the top contributors to the immune profile differences between moms and infants, including NK cell functions, IgG1 and doubly-galactosylated IgG. Next, we developed a statistical modeling framework that sets robust criteria to determine the active transfer, blocking or abundance-strict transfer of antibody attribute.

The above mention project could you please write a paragraph or two on what you liked about each project or what resonated with you?

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