Something Else to Stress about: Perinatal Stress Attenuates CD8(+) T Cell Activity in Adults

Early-life stress has adverse health effects, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Hong et al. demonstrate that perinatal exposure to glucocorticoids in mice reprograms the neuroendocrine stress pathway. This results in reduced glucocorticoid levels in adults, leading to attenuated anti-tumor and anti-bacterial CD8(+) T cell responses.