Publications by authors named "A J Caulfield"
Article Synopsis
- Neonatal immune systems (NIS) are often thought to be underdeveloped, but recent research shows that neonatal mice can effectively clear a specific strain of Bordetella pertussis (Bp) better than adults, suggesting that their immune response can be quite strong despite potential weaknesses.
- The study found that neutrophils play a crucial role in rapidly clearing this Bp strain, as depleting or blocking them hindered the immune response in neonatal mice.
- Complement proteins also independently support the clearance process; without them, neonates struggled to recruit neutrophils, but treatment with these proteins restored their ability to fight the infection, implying that pertussis toxin can disrupt the efficient functioning of the NIS.
As of 2024, SARS-CoV-2 continues to propagate and drift as an endemic virus, impacting healthcare for years. The largest sequencing initiative for any species was initiated to combat the virus, tracking changes over time at a full virus base-pair resolution. The SARS-CoV-2 sequencing represents a unique opportunity to understand selective pressures and viral evolution but requires cross-disciplinary approaches from epidemiology to functional protein biology.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAdaptive immune protection of the middle ears differs from that of the respiratory tract.
Front Cell Infect Microbiol
December 2023
Article Synopsis
- The adaptive immune system in the middle ear is recognized for its efficacy, but the specific mechanisms of protection against infections are not well understood compared to other parts of the body like the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts.
- Research using a mouse model that simulates acute otitis media revealed that while the middle ear can effectively develop immunity against reinfection after recovering from a primary infection, the upper respiratory tract shows different immunological responses and levels of protection.
- Key immune cells (CD4+ and CD8+ T cells) are critical for protecting the middle ear against future infections, and intranasal vaccinations have been shown to effectively provide protection to the middle ear, highlighting its role as a distinct site for adaptive immunity.
Article Synopsis
- Pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory disease, especially dangerous for infants and young children, and is seeing a resurgence despite vaccination efforts.
- Current acellular vaccines help prevent severe disease but their immunity fades quickly and does not stop the spread of the bacteria.
- To combat this issue, there are new initiatives focusing on enhancing immunity in the upper respiratory tract, but challenges in research methods and host-pathogen interactions need to be addressed for effective vaccine development.
The increased susceptibility of neonates to specific pathogens has previously been attributed to an underdeveloped immune system. More recent data suggest neonates have effective protection against most pathogens but are particularly susceptible to those that target immune functions specific to neonates. (), the causative agent of "whooping cough", causes more serious disease in infants attributed to its production of pertussis toxin (PTx), although the neonate-specific immune functions it targets remain unknown.
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