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Dahlem Conference

There is increasing evidence that the functional state of the immune system at birth is predictive of the kinetics of immune maturation in early infancy.

Toward improved prediction of risk for atopy and asthma among preschoolers: A prospective cohort study

Atopy and asthma are commonly initiated during early life, and there is increasing interest in the development of preventive treatments for at-risk children.

Identification and Isolation of Rodent Respiratory Tract Dendritic Cells

This chapter describes the preparation of respiratory tract tissue from both mice and rats for the isolation of respiratory tract dendritic cells (RTDC).

Toll-like receptor 7 function is reduced in adolescents with asthma

Anti-viral innate immune responses may be impaired in asthma, although the mechanisms are not well understood.

Assessment of the potency and potential immunomodulatory effects of the Measles Mumps Rubella-Varicella vaccine in infants

This study compared the potency and immunomodulatory effects of measles mumps rubella (MMR) vaccine given to infants alone or in combination with varicella...

Single cell transcriptomics reveals cell type specific features of developmentally regulated responses to lipopolysaccharide between birth and 5 years

Human perinatal life is characterized by a period of extraordinary change during which newborns encounter abundant environmental stimuli and exposure to potential pathogens. To meet such challenges, the neonatal immune system is equipped with unique functional characteristics that adapt to changing conditions as development progresses across the early years of life, but the molecular characteristics of such adaptations remain poorly understood.

LPS binding protein and activation signatures are upregulated during asthma exacerbations in children

Asthma exacerbations in children are associated with respiratory viral infection and atopy, resulting in systemic immune activation and infiltration of immune cells into the airways. The gene networks driving the immune activation and subsequent migration of immune cells into the airways remains incompletely understood. Cellular and molecular profiling of PBMC was employed on paired samples obtained from atopic asthmatic children during acute virus-associated exacerbations and later during convalescence.

Maternal diet modulates the infant microbiome and intestinal Flt3L necessary for dendritic cell development and immunity to respiratory infection

Poor maternal diet during pregnancy is a risk factor for severe lower respiratory infections in the offspring, but the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we demonstrate that in mice a maternal low-fiber diet led to enhanced LRI severity in infants because of delayed plasmacytoid dendritic cell recruitment and perturbation of regulatory T cell expansion in the lungs.

Lipopolysaccharide-induced interferon response networks at birth are predictive of severe viral lower respiratory infections in the first year of life

Appropriate innate immune function is essential to limit pathogenesis and severity of severe lower respiratory infections (sLRI) during infancy, a leading cause of hospitalization and risk factor for subsequent asthma in this age group.

Rare variant analysis in eczema identifies exonic variants in DUSP1, NOTCH4 and SLC9A4

Previous genome-wide association studies revealed multiple common variants involved in eczema but the role of rare variants remains to be elucidated. Here, we investigate the role of rare variants in eczema susceptibility. We meta-analyze 21 study populations including 20,016 eczema cases and 380,433 controls. Rare variants are imputed with high accuracy using large population-based reference panels.