Valerie Verhasselt
Head, Immunology and Breastfeeding
MD, PhD
valerie.verhasselt@thekids.org.au
+61 402 997 617
Professor Verhasselt is Head of Immunology and Breast Feeding at The Kids Research Institute Australia. She has 20 years of experience in translational research on the impacts of breastfeeding on child immune development and health. With her team, she aims to establish the matches and, importantly, the possible mismatches, between what the infant needs for healthy development and the nutrition that they are provided. She wants to reveal what is needed to make breast milk more likely to prevent conditions such as allergy, malaria or growth failure.
She has revolutionised the field of allergy prevention by early oral allergen exposure with a landmark study published in Nature Medicine in 2008. This study contributed to the recent major changes in breastfeeding guidelines for food allergy prevention, that Prof. Verhasselt co-authored (European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology food allergy prevention guidelines).
Her creative mind, expertise in immunology of breastfeeding and worldwide col-laborations have resulted in the publication of a ground-breaking study on a novel concept for Malaria prevention through natural vaccination via breast milk. Her leadership in clinical studies, aiming to improve child health through early nutrition, is shown in her current study of a birth cohort of 1000 children that investigates the importance of colostrum for growth, allergy and infection prevention. This knowledge will be informing changes in clinical practice and driving policy changes such as increased budgets in community and health services for early breastfeeding support.
Prof. Verhasselt has presented more than 40 invited lectures in the last 3 years to interna-tional scientific meetings and she has regular speaking engagements to local and internation-al meetings of stakeholders in child nutrition. She co-coordinates and lectures at the course “Breastfeeding A Foundation for Human Health” held at The University of Western Australia. Prof. Verhasselt has authored more than 80 publications, many published in top 1% Journal (Nature Medicine, JAMA Pediatrics, Gut, Lancet Infectious Disease, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology).
Her research receives a major financial support by the Larsson Rosenquist Foundation.
Projects
Colostrum, the missing link for healthy growth
Establishing nutritional protective and risk factors for allergy in early life
The milky way to infectious disease prevention
Published research
Antibodies in breast milk: Pro-bodies designed for healthy newborn development
This manuscript sheds light on the impact of maternal breast milk antibodies on infant health. Milk antibodies prepare and protect the newborn against environmental exposure, guide and regulate the offspring's immune system, and promote transgenerational adaptation of the immune system to its environment.
A newborn's perspective on immune responses to food
In this review, we will highlight infants' immune responses to food, emphasizing the unique aspects of early-life immunity and the critical role of breast milk as a food dedicated to infants. Infants are susceptible to inflammatory responses rather than immune tolerance at the mucosal and skin barriers, necessitating strategies to promote oral tolerance that consider this susceptibility.
Per Os to Protection – Targeting the Oral Route to Enhance Immune-mediated Protection from Disease of the Human Newborn
Diet at birth is critical for healthy growth, independent of effects on the gut microbiota
Colostrum is the first milk for a newborn. Its high content in microbiota shaping compounds and its intake at the time of gut microbiota seeding suggests colostrum may be critical in the establishment of a healthy microbiota. There is also accumulating evidence on the importance of the gut microbiota for healthy growth.
Specific IgA, but Not IgG, in Human Milk from COVID-19-Infected Mothers Neutralizes SARS-CoV-2
This study highlights the importance of human milk in providing anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 immunity to newborns. The highest protective activity of human milk against COVID-19 was found in colostrum from infected mothers.
Early treatment with fluvoxamine, bromhexine, cyproheptadine, and niclosamide to prevent clinical deterioration in patients with symptomatic COVID-19: a randomized clinical trial
Repurposed drugs with host-directed antiviral and immunomodulatory properties have shown promise in the treatment of COVID-19, but few trials have studied combinations of these agents. The aim of this trial was to assess the effectiveness of affordable, widely available, repurposed drugs used in combination for treatment of COVID-19, which may be particularly relevant to low-resource countries.
Metagenomic Characterisation of the Gut Microbiome and Effect of Complementary Feeding on Bifidobacterium spp. in Australian Infants
Complementary feeding induces dramatic ecological shifts in the infant gut microbiota toward more diverse compositions and functional metabolic capacities, with potential implications for immune and metabolic health. The aim of this study was to examine whether the age at which solid foods are introduced differentially affects the microbiota in predominantly breastfed infants compared with predominantly formula-fed infants.
Study Protocol for a Stepped-Wedge Cluster (Nested) Randomized Controlled Trial of Antenatal Colostrum Expression (ACE) Instruction in First-Time Mothers: The ACE Study
Although many mothers initiate breastfeeding, supplementation with human-milk substitutes (formula) during the birth hospitalization is common and has been associated with early breastfeeding cessation. Colostrum hand expressed in the last few weeks before birth, known as antenatal colostrum expression (ACE), can be used instead of human-milk substitutes. However, evidence is lacking on the efficacy of ACE on breastfeeding outcomes and in non-diabetic mothers.
Food Proteins in Human Breast Milk and Probability of IgE-Mediated Allergic Reaction in Children During Breastfeeding: A Systematic Review
Previous reports suggested that food proteins present in human milk (HM) may trigger symptoms in allergic children during breastfeeding, but existing evidence has never been reviewed systematically.
Other Publications
- van den Elsen LWJ, Garssen J, Burcelin R, Verhasselt V. Shaping the Gut Microbiota by Breastfeeding: The Gateway to Allergy Prevention? Front Pediatr. 2019;7:47.
- van den Elsen LWJ, Verhasselt V. Human Milk Drives the Intimate Interplay Between Gut Immunity and Adipose Tissue for Healthy Growth. Frontiers in immunology. 2021;12:645415.
- Verhasselt V, Milcent V, Cazareth J, Kanda A, Fleury S, Dombrowicz D, et al. Breast milk-mediated transfer of an antigen induces tolerance and protection from allergic asthma. Nature medicine. 2008;14(2):170-5.
- Verhasselt V, Genuneit J, Metcalfe JR, Tulic MK, Rekima A, Palmer DJ, et al. Ovalbumin in breastmilk is associated with a decreased risk of IgE-mediated egg allergy in children. Allergy. 2020;75(6):1463-6.
- Turfkruyer M, Rekima A, Macchiaverni P, Le Bourhis L, Muncan V, van den Brink GR, et al. Oral tolerance is inefficient in neonatal mice due to a physiological vitamin A deficiency. Mucosal immunology. 2016;9(2):479-91.
- Rekima A, Macchiaverni P, Turfkruyer M, Holvoet S, Dupuis L, Baiz N, et al. Long term reduction in food allergy susceptibility in mice by combining breastfeeding-induced tolerance and TGF-beta enriched formula after weaning. Clinical and experimental allergy : journal of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2016.
- Mosconi E, Rekima A, Seitz-Polski B, Kanda A, Fleury S, Tissandie E, et al. Breast milk immune complexes are potent inducers of oral tolerance in neonates and prevent asthma development. Mucosal immunology. 2010;3(5):461-74.
- Adel-Patient K, Bernard H, Fenaille F, Hazebrouck S, Junot C, Verhasselt V. Prevention of Allergy to a Major Cow's Milk Allergen by Breastfeeding in Mice Depends on Maternal Immune Status and Oral Exposure During Lactation. Frontiers in immunology. 2020;11:1545.
- Macchiaverni P, Rekima A, Turfkruyer M, Mascarell L, Airouche S, Moingeon P, et al. Respiratory allergen from house dust mite is present in human milk and primes for allergic sensitization in a mouse model of asthma. Allergy. 2014;69(3):395-8.
- Baiz N, Macchiaverni P, Tulic MK, Rekima A, Annesi-Maesano I, Verhasselt V, et al. Early oral exposure to house dust mite allergen through breast milk: A potential risk factor for allergic sensitization and respiratory allergies in children. The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology. 2017;139(1):369-72 e10.
- Rekima A, Bonnart C, Macchiaverni P, Metcalfe J, Tulic MK, Halloin N, et al. A role for early oral exposure to house dust mite allergens through breast milk in IgE-mediated food allergy susceptibility. The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology. 2020.
- Macchiaverni P, Rekima A, van den Elsen L, Renz H, Verhasselt V. Allergen shedding in human milk: Could it be key for immune system education and allergy prevention? The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology. 2021;148(3):679-88.
- van den Elsen LWJ, Verhasselt V, Egwang T. Malaria Antigen Shedding in the Breast Milk of Mothers From a Region With Endemic Malaria. JAMA Pediatr. 2020.
- Marchant A, Sadarangani M, Garand M, Dauby N, Verhasselt V, Pereira L, et al. Maternal immunisation: collaborating with mother nature. The Lancet Infectious diseases. 2017.
- Tulic MK, Vivinus-Nebot M, Rekima A, Rabelo Medeiros S, Bonnart C, Shi H, et al. Presence of commensal house dust mite allergen in human gastrointestinal tract: a potential contributor to intestinal barrier dysfunction. Gut. 2016;65(5):757-66.
Education and Qualifications
- Medical Doctor, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB, Belgium), 1992; each year summa cum laude and ranked first
- Specialist in Internal Medicine, ULB, 2000. summa cum laude
- PhD in Immunology, ULB, 1999. summa cum laude
Awards and Honours
- French Academy of Medicine 2012
- French Academy of Sciences 2008
Active Collaborations
Professor Valerie Verhasselt is part of a worldwide network of chairs dedicated to improving health through breastfeeding (Larsson Rosenquist research Centres).
This network includes Pediatrician specialized in neurodevelopment (Dr Natalucci Giancarlo, Zurich University, Switzerland); health economists (Dr David Yanagizawa-Drott , Zurich University, Switzerland); Epidemiologists of early nutrition ( Dr Lynn Yuan Children’s Hospital of Fudan University and Dr Xiang LI Tongji University , China); Expert in the endocrinology of Breastfeeding ( A/ Prof Fadil Hannan, Oxford University) and Biochemistry of Breast milk ( Prof Lars Bode, University of San Diego).
In addition to this, Professor Verhasselt has multiple collaborators including:
- Epidemiologists of early nutrition: Jon Genuneit (Leipzig University, Germany); Alet Wijga and Ulrike Gehring, (The Netherlands);
- System Biology: David Lynn (Adelaide University, Australia)
Infectious disease: Thomas Egwang (Kampala, Uganda); Tobias Kollmann (The Kids Research Institute Australia, Perth, Australia) - Microbiology: Claus Christopherson (Curtin University, Perth, Australia)
- Pediatricians including Prof Suzan Prescott (School of Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia), A/Prof Mehta Shailander (Fiona Hospital, Perth, Australia), Prof George du Toit (Kings College London, UK), Dr Stéphanie De Smet (Hopital de l’Archet, France),
- Dietician expert in child nutrition: A/Prof Carina Venter (University of Colorado, USA); Dr Debbie Palmer (The Kids Research Institute Australia, Perth, Australia); Dr Therese O Sullivan (Edith Cowan University, Perth)