Babies Have Stronger Immune Systems Than Once Thought

Recent findings published in the journal Nature Medicine contradict previous studies suggesting that babies carry budding and potentially weak immune systems. Quite the contrary.

This new study suggests that they harbor immune T cells that may carry the ability to trigger inflammatory responses to bacteria with strong immune defenses.

"We found that babies have an in-built anti-bacterial defense mechanism that works differently to adults, but nevertheless may be effective in protecting them. This may also be a mechanism by which the baby protects itself in the womb from infections of the mother. The next stage of our work will be to better understand the pathways that result in the immune cells of newborns being so different to those in adults," said lead study author Dr. Deena Gibbons in the Department of Immunobiology at King's College London, in a news release.

Researchers discovered that the T cells in newborn babies are quite different than those in adults. However, unlike previous findings, they found that it's not due to their immunosuppression. Instead, it's actually because of a potent anti-bacterial molecule known as IL8 that has not previously been considered a major product of T cells.

As T cell activity could become a target for future treatments aimed at boosting immune systems aimed to target future treatments of neonates in intensive care, infection remains a major risk for morbidity and mortality.

"This may also be a mechanism by which the baby protects itself in the womb from infections of the mother. The next stage of our work will be to better understand the pathways that result in the immune cells of newborns being so different to those in adults," said Gibbons.

Researchers note that they hope that future treatments could aim to boost immune system in neonates to possibly focus on T cell activity, particularly by developing treatments for inflammatory diseases such as common gastrointestinal surgical emergencies that are more commonly seen in premature babies and responsible for 15 to 30 percent of infant mortality in the United Kingdom.