Lauzon Joset JF, Scott NM, Leffler J, , Stumbles PA, Strickland DH
The Kids Research Institute Australia, The University of Western Australia, Perth Australia
Infancy is associated with heightened susceptibility to infection, as exemplified by the frequency of severe lower respiratory tract infections which peak within the first year of life. This has been associated with the fact that at birth the immune system is functionally immature, however the precise cellular and molecular mechanisms leading to heightened disease severity remain unclear. Moreover, the long term impact on immune development remains unclear. These are important to understand in light of the fact that severe early life respiratory viral infections are recognized as a major risk factor for allergic asthma inception.
We will use mouse models of infection to interrogate disease pathways and mechanisms associated with respiratory viral infections during early life and determine the long term impact on immune development.
Lay Summary:
Infants are more susceptible to respiratory viral infections. Early life viral infections are associated with the development of asthma in childhood, however the mechanisms are not clear. This study will investigate the why disease is worse in infants and how early life viral infection impacts the developing immune system.
This project is funded by a near-miss grant through Murdoch University.