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Review
. 2014 Jul;35(7):299-310.
doi: 10.1016/j.it.2014.04.007. Epub 2014 May 28.

Ontogeny of early life immunity

David J Dowling  1 , Ofer Levy  2
Affiliations
Review

Ontogeny of early life immunity

David J Dowling et al. Trends Immunol. 2014 Jul.

Abstract

The human immune system comprises cellular and molecular components designed to coordinately prevent infection while avoiding potentially harmful inflammation and autoimmunity. Immunity varies with age, reflecting unique age-dependent challenges including fetal gestation, the neonatal phase, and infancy. Here, we review novel mechanistic insights into early life immunity, with an emphasis on emerging models of human immune ontogeny, which may inform age-specific translational development of novel anti-infectives, immunomodulators, and vaccines.

Keywords: Toll-like receptor; dendritic cell; immune ontogeny; newborn infant; vaccines.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Ontogeny of Early Life Immunomodulation
Preterm (<37 weeks gestational age, GA) and full-term newborns (37–41 weeks GA). Abbreviations: ADA (adenosine deaminase); Breg (Regulatory B Cell); NK (Natural Killer); Tfh (T follicular helper cells); TGF-β (Transforming growth factor beta); Tregs (Regulatory T Cells)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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