Perinatal Biology Symposium: Perinatal Programming - Challenges and Solutions for Optimizing Long-Term Health.

Abstract

Perinatal biology encompasses the coordinated sequence of parental, placental, fetal, and neonatal processes that collectively determine reproductive success and form the basis for lifelong health of the offspring. Recent advances in molecular biology, reproductive technologies, and systems biology have transformed our understanding of how events occurring before conception and throughout gestation influence pregnancy outcomes across mammalian species. The invited reviews that comprise this Perinatal Biology collection highlight emerging concepts in assisted reproductive technologies, maternal endocrine patterns, placental biology, infectious disease, and gamete physiology. Collectively, these articles demonstrate how successful pregnancy depends upon dynamic communication among maternal and paternal, placental, and fetal compartments, as none of these functions independently. Across species, common biological themes emerge around mitochondrial function and metabolic adaptability, immune and endocrine regulation, angiogenesis, and cellular plasticity. The collection also emphasizes the importance of comparative animal models, multi-omics technologies, and integrative physiology for identifying conserved mechanisms that underlie pregnancy outcomes. Together, this collection illustrates the expanding scope of perinatal biology and establishes a framework for translational One-Health research that benefits human medicine and animal agriculture.