LAUSR

Immunology Exposure to stress in the womb not only has acute effects on the fetus but also influences physiological function later in adult life. Hong et al. propose a mechanism by which perinatal exposure to dexamethasone, a drug resembling corticosteroid stress hormone, causes problems with CD8 T cell function in adulthood. Adult offspring of mice treated with dexamethasone when pregnant had CD8 T cells with blunted production of interferon-γ, decreased response to cancer cells, and impaired antibacterial function. The problems may, in part, reflect a long-term decrease in production of corticosterone by the adrenal gland and, consequently, decreased glucocorticoid receptor signaling in the T cells. Cell 180 , 847 (2020).