Summary
Webinar: Pregnancy Enables Antibody Defense Against Intracellular Infection
Date & Time: Tuesday, February 11th at 10AM CT / 11AM ET 2025
Discover how maternal-fetal immunity adapts to overcome the challenges of intracellular infections. This webinar will explore groundbreaking findings on pregnancy-induced antibody modifications that enhance neonatal defense against Listeria monocytogenes and redefine the protective roles of antibodies in early life.
Key Learnings:
• Antibodies are post-translationally modified during pregnancy to enhance their protective scope.
• Sialic acid on antibody N-glycans is required for protection against neonatal Listeria infection.
• Terminal sialic acid residues on antibody variable region (Fab) N-glycans can be modified by 9-O-acetylation, dramatically altering their protective capability.
• Maternal sialylated antibodies regulate neonatal immunity via sialic acid receptors (Siglec) on regulatory B cells.