Science Advances · 18 September 2026 · From issue 38
Maternal-fetal immune conflict contributes to male-specific impairments in a mouse model of neurodevelopmental disorders
In mice, maternal infection during pregnancy harmed some male embryos but never female ones.
Irene Sanchez-Martin, Bharti Kukreja et al.
A mother's infection during pregnancy can harm some male mouse babies but not females. In a mouse study, 30% of embryos from infected mothers showed problems like low birth weight or unusual sensory organs. All of these problems showed up only in males, never in females. The placenta's protective barrier broke down fast in affected males, letting immune cells and a signal called interleukin-6 flood in and cause the damage.
the share of mouse embryos from infected mothers that developed problems, all of them male
Mouse study only, 24-hour window, no human data yet.
Integrity screen: passed (3 checks) Checked 18 September 2026. Retraction record: none. DOI resolves at doi.org. Metadata record found (Science Advances). Read the source
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