Overview

• KAIST team used LPS-induced inflammation in pregnant mice to show that placental TNF-α activates neutrophils and damages placental tissue.
• Placental injury in the model triggered elevated glucocorticoid secretion in offspring, boosting T cell survival and memory differentiation.
• Prenatally programmed memory T cells drove exaggerated eosinophilic airway inflammation when mice were exposed to house dust mite allergens.
• The findings offer the first causal evidence linking maternal inflammation to fetal immune programming and increased pediatric asthma risk.
• Researchers are now pursuing biomarker identification and preventive strategies for childhood allergic diseases based on these mechanisms.