pregnancy
Letter to the Editor | Host-Microbe BiologyDoesn’t It All Come Down to Function? How To Correlate VAR2CSA Antibodies with Protection
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionVaccine Candidate Brucella melitensis 16MΔvjbR Is Safe in a Pregnant Sheep Model and Confers ProtectionBrucellosis is one of the most commonly reported zoonotic disease with a worldwide distribution. Of the 12 Brucella species, Brucella melitensis is considered the most virulent and causes reproductive failure (abortions/stillbirths) in small ruminants, which can spread the disease to other animals or to humans. Vaccination of small ruminants is a key measure...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyLack of Evidence for Microbiota in the Placental and Fetal Tissues of Rhesus MacaquesMicrobial invasion of the amniotic cavity (i.e., intra-amniotic infection) has been causally linked to pregnancy complications, especially preterm birth. Therefore, if the placenta and the fetus are typically populated by low-biomass microbial communities, current understanding of the role of microbes in reproduction and pregnancy outcomes will need to be fundamentally reconsidered. Could these communities be of benefit by competitively...
Commentary | Host-Microbe BiologymSphere of Influence: Going Native, or the Risk of Overreliance on Recombinant AntigensMary Lopez-Perez works on immunology and pathogenesis of malaria. In this mSphere of Influence article, she reflects on how the paper “Functional antibodies against VAR2CSA in nonpregnant populations from Colombia exposed to Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax” by S. Gnidehou, J....
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyNo Consistent Evidence for Microbiota in Murine Placental and Fetal TissuesThe prevailing paradigm in obstetrics has been the sterile womb hypothesis, which posits that fetuses are first colonized by microorganisms during the delivery process. However, some are now suggesting that fetuses are consistently colonized in utero by microorganisms from microbial communities that inhabit the placenta and intra-amniotic environment. Given the established causal role of microbial invasion of the amniotic...