Immunology Research Group

FNAIT is a condition that may affect foetuses and newborns. The condition is caused when the child inherits platelet antibodies from its mother. Antibodies passed to the foetus through the placenta may cause a lack of platelets in the newborn, which again may result in life-threatening bleeding. In Norway, FNAIT is responsible for three to five cases of infant mortality each year, as well as 5-15 cases of brain damage in newborns. The latter group represents a considerable cost for society in terms of treatment and follow-up.

The research group's research related to FNAIT has the following main objectives:

1.   Develop a form of treatment that can prevent the formation of platelet-reactive antibodies in pregnant women.

2.   Carry out groundbreaking research in order to produce a basal knowledge of the immune biology and especially the cellular immune response that allows for the development of platelet-reactive antibodies.

3.   Investigate clinical manifestations associated with platelet-reactive antibodies.

Click this link to open a recently published overview article on FNAIT (open access) published by our group: http://www.expert-reviews.com/doi/pdf/10.1586/ehm.10.49