? ? Maternal infection during pregnancy may cause disabling disorders such as cerebral palsy and mental retardation in affected children. In addition to known effects on gliogenesis, our recent evidence suggests that inflammatory disruption of fetal neurogenesis may play into disease pathogenesis. Preliminary animal studies indicate that maternal inflammation delays cortical neurogenesis in the fetus and causes learning and sensorimotor deficits. Accurately tracking cortical progenitor cell division, survival, migration, and differentiation over time will reveal the mechanism behind the defect. Using in vitro assays, the precise nature of the cellular dysfunction and the role proinflammatory cytokines play in this phenomenon will be elucidated. Cytokine knockout animals will be used to test these effects in vivo. These studies will provide valuable information regarding normal and abnormal cortical neurogenesis and delineate pathogenic mechanisms of inflammation induced fetal defects, in which we can intervene to prevent disease in future generations. ? ? ?
