POL7085 or anti-CCL28 treatment inhibits development of post-paramyxoviral airway disease.

Introduction: Asthma is major health burden throughout the world, and there are no therapies that have been shown to be able to prevent the development of disease. A severe respiratory paramyxoviral infection early in life has been demonstrated to greatly increase the risk of developing asthma. We have a mouse model of a severe respiratory paramyxoviral infection (Sendai virus, SeV) that mimics human disease, and requires early expression of the cytokine CCL28 to drive the development of post-viral airway disease.

Structure-function analysis of CCL28 in the development of post-viral asthma.

CCL28 is a human chemokine constitutively expressed by epithelial cells in diverse mucosal tissues and is known to attract a variety of immune cell types including T-cell subsets and eosinophils. Elevated levels of CCL28 have been found in the airways of individuals with asthma, and previous studies have indicated that CCL28 plays a vital role in the acute development of post-viral asthma. Our study builds on this, demonstrating that CCL28 is also important in the chronic post-viral asthma phenotype.

Newborn screening for SCID: where are we now?

Newborn screening (NBS) for severe T-cell lymphopenia/severe combined immunodeficiency using the T-cell receptor excision circle assay continues to expand in the USA and worldwide. Here, we will review why severe combined immunodeficiency is an excellent case for NBS, the outcomes of the first 6 years of screening, and dilemmas surrounding screening and management of infants detected by NBS. We will also discuss the future of NBS for primary immunodeficiencies.

Egg baked in product open oral food challenges are safe in selected egg-allergic patients.

Egg allergy is one of the most common food allergies in children. Most egg-allergic children are able to tolerate egg baked in product (EBP) and will likely outgrow his/her egg allergy. By introducing EBP in the diet of an egg-allergic child, diet can be expanded and family stress can be reduced.