title: Impact of prenatal immune system disturbances on brain development.
abstract: As research into various aging-associated neurodegenerative disorders reveals their immense pathophysiological complexity, the focus is currently shifting from studying changes in an advanced disease state to investigations involving pre-symptomatic periods, possible aberrations in early life, and even abnormalities in brain development. Recent studies on the etiology of schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders revealed a profound impact of neurodevelopmental disturbances on disease predisposition, onset and progression. Here, we discuss how a prenatal immune challenge can affect the developing brain-with a selective focus on the impact on microglia, the brain's immune cells-and the implications for brain aging and its associated risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Amrita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Madhusudan
authors.forename: Prisca
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vogel
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Knuesel
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D007154:Immune System Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D017628:Microglia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D011070:Poly I-C / Q000494:pharmacology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D011070:Poly I-C