Maternal hematopoietic TNF, via milk chemokines, programs hippocampal development and memory

The authors show, in mice, that maternal tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) genotype affects postnatal phenotypes in adult offspring. Lack of either one or two copies of the Tnf gene in dams led to reduced levels of chemokines in their milk, increased levels of adult hippocampal neurogenesis and improved spatial memory in offspring.