Recent publication : Defensive weapons for neonates and infants
July 29th 2020 - 15:19
Early-life immune responses have been described as suboptimal, with neonates and infants being susceptible to infections. Vγ9Vδ2 T cells are the first T lymphocytes to be generated in the human fetus. Their T cell receptor-mediated responses to in vitro stimulation and their effector functions at birth are weaker compared with those in adults, possibly reflecting the need for tolerance in utero. However, here we show that upon transition to the prominent microbial exposure early after birth, public fetal-derived Vγ9Vδ2 T cells expand and differentiate into potent cytotoxic effector cells....
Recent review: Vaccination strategies to enhance immunity in neonates
July 17th 2020 - 14:23
Neonates are particularly susceptible to infection. This vulnerability occurs despite their responsiveness to most vaccines. However, current vaccines do not target the pathogens responsible for most of the severe neonatal infections, and the time it takes to induce protective pathogen-specific immunity after vaccination limits protection in the first days to weeks of life. Alternative strategies include using vaccines to broadly stimulate neonatal immunity in a pathogen-agnostic fashion or vaccinating women during pregnancy to induce protective antibodies that are vertically transferred to...
Recent publication: Gut Microbiota and the Neonatal Immune system
July 06th 2020 - 14:47
At birth, when neonate meets for the first time its external environment, the immune system is dominated by anti-inflammatory responses. This phenomenon called « neonatal tolerance », long described as being due to the immaturity of the immune system, is actually crucial to avoid the development of excessive and deleterious responses that can be harmful. However, neonates are also facing a lot of dangerous pathogens he has to fight. Therefore, induction of immune protection is as well essential in early life. The maintenance of this dynamic balance between tolerance and protection is a...
Recent publication: Immune Dysfunction in Liver diseases
June 29th 2020 - 15:48
In western countries, liver cirrhosis is generally caused by chronic alcohol consumption. It is responsible for almost 170.000 deaths annually in Europe. Bacterial infections are often responsible for the progression of the disease and death of these patients. However, the mechanisms leading to this immunodeficient state are not well understood. In a recent work published in the Journal of Hepatology, the teams of Gastro-enterology of Erasme Hospital (led by Thierry Gustot) and the Institute for Medical Immunology (led by Stanislas Goriely) studied the immune function of these high-risk...
Belgium invests in contained facility and laboratories for testing vaccines
May 25th 2020 - 10:49
UAntwerp and ULB collaborating in unique project to accelerate vaccine development
Developing vaccines for unknown pathogens and testing their efficacy is one of the most important challenges facing the global community today. The Belgian Federal Government is investing 20 million euros in a contained facility and laboratories for ‘human challenge’ studies, a major tool in the vaccine development process. The University of Antwerp and the Université libre de Bruxelles will join forces for this unique project.
Vaccines have been one of the most significant achievements of modern medicine....
