Maternal immune activation and abnormal brain development across CNS disorders

Activation of the immune system during pregnancy can have varied effects on fetal development, and converging evidence highlights maternal immune activation as a risk factor for multiple neurological conditions. In this Review, Knuesel and colleagues discuss the involvement of maternal immune activation in schizophrenia, austim spectrum disorders, epilepsy and other disorders. The authors then discuss how preclinical data indicate a possible link between prenatal exposure to infection and susceptibility to neurodegenerative disease, and they go on to identify fertile ground for further translational research.