Humans and other mammals: antibody transfer from mother to child

In mammals, the fetus grows within its mother’s womb until it is sufficiently developed for birth. However, newborns lack the robust immune system required to defend themselves from bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens that are ubiquitous outside the womb. For this reason, newborns rely on antibodies transferred from the mother. This temporary reliance on the mother’s immune system after birth is called “maternal immunity.”

In humans, antibodies are transferred via the placenta to the fetus pre-birth and via milk to the child post-partum. In other mammals antibodies are also transferred from mother to child through milk.

Avian maternal immunity: an ingenious system we can benefit from

The same maternal immunity system that protects mammalian offspring also exists in birds, but it cannot rely on either placenta or milk (since birds have neither). The avian solution is to stock maternal antibodies in the egg, especially the yolk. Thus, when the chick develops from the egg, it already possesses antibodies inherited from its mother to protect it from external pathogens.

Passive immunity: how we can harness the power of IgY

Immunity developed by an animal in the course of its own life is called “acquired immunity.” In contrast, the immunity acquired through external antibodies is called “passive immunity”. One example is the passive immunity babies receive from their mother via the placenta.

The basic idea behind our work at IRIG is simple: If chickens are exposed to human or animal pathogens, they create antibodies against them. These antibodies are then accumulated in the chicken’s egg yolk – and, using our technologies, can be used to develop passive immunity solutions against these pathogens for humans, production animals and pets.