We briefly review the protective role of maternal antibodies during fetal development and at early postnatal stages. We describe antibody delivery to fetuses, particularly in the context of the developing blood-brain barrier (BBB), and present the essential concepts regarding the adult BBB, together with existing information on the prenatal developing BBB. We focus on maternal antibody transfer to the developing brain and the consequences of the presence of pathogenic antibodies at early stages of brain development on subsequent brain dysfunction.
Keywords: Autoimmunity; Developing blood–brain barrier; Maternal antibodies; Neuroimmunology.