Congratulations Dr. Regal, Dr. Scroggins and Courtney O'Kane, MS!

Drs. Jean Regal and Sabrina Scroggins, and Integrated Biosciences graduate student Courtney O’Kane, have a new publication in Current Opinion in Physiology. The article, The Role of Complement and CD4 T Cells in Preeclampsia and Offspring Neurodevelopment, details the role of innate and adaptive immune system responses in preeclamptic pregnancies and how these responses shape neurodevelopmental outcomes for children. It has been shown that dysregulated CD4+ T Helper Cells, including TH1, TH17, and T Regulatory cells, in conjunction with complement activity (especially C3a and C5a responses), may predispose offspring to altered brain function and intellectual disabilities such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, and anxiety. The review provides valuable insights on the power of complement and T cell activity in brain development, and provides understanding of the long-term and multi-factorial impacts on children born to preeclamptic pregnancies.