Significance of the placental barrier in antenatal viral infections.
Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis
; 1867(12): 166244, 2021 12 01.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1356140
ABSTRACT
The placenta provides a significant physical and physiological barrier to prevent fetal infection during pregnancy. Nevertheless, it is at times breached by pathogens and leads to vertical transmission of infection from mother to fetus. This review will focus specifically on the Zika flavivirus, the HIV retrovirus and the emerging SARS-CoV2 coronavirus, which have affected pregnant women and their offspring in recent epidemics. In particular, we will address how viral infections affect the immune response at the maternal-fetal interface and how the placental barrier is physically breached and discuss the consequences of infection on various aspects of placental function to support fetal growth and development. Improved understanding of how the placenta responds to viral infections will lay the foundation for developing therapeutics to these and emergent viruses, to minimise the harms of infection to the offspring.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Placenta
/
Pregnancy Complications, Infectious
/
Virus Diseases
Type of study:
Observational study
Limits:
Female
/
Humans
/
Pregnancy
Language:
English
Journal:
Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
J.bbadis.2021.166244
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