Epigenetic mechanisms linking maternal immune activation-induced transcriptional changes to adult behavioural impairment in a neurodevelopmental rat m

A fundamental unknown in understanding mechanisms of disease, and therefore improving therapy, is how stressors experienced during critical developmental periods influence the genesis or 'programming' of adult disease (Estes & McAllister 2016). In particular, stressors experienced during pregnancy may increase the likelihood of offspring developing cognitive disorders across their lifespan (Knuesel et al. 2014). Whether this is due to changes directly affecting brain development in utero, altered maternal care behaviour, adolescent brain development or a combination of these, is unclear, and the mechanistic pathways underpinning affected traits remain poorly defined.