Search
Incomplete maturation of immune regulatory functions at birth is antecedent to the heightened risk for severe respiratory infections during infancy. Our forerunner animal model studies demonstrated that maternal treatment with the microbial-derived immune training agent OM-85 during pregnancy promotes accelerated postnatal maturation of mechanisms that regulate inflammatory processes in the offspring airways.
A significant proportion of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations are strongly associated with rhinovirus infection (HRV). In this study, we combined long-term cigarette smoke exposure with HRV infection in a mouse model.
Dysbiosis refers to a reduction in microbial diversity, combined with a loss of beneficial taxa, and an increase in pathogenic microorganisms. Dysbiosis of the intestinal microbiota can have a substantial effect on the nervous and immune systems, contributing to the onset of several inflammatory diseases.
We have recently published a paper identifying precursor populations in peripheral lung (2017), and have also discovered that these populations can be found in multiple tissues.
This study will identify how the immune system contributes to neurodevelopmental outcomes and will investigate the use of an agent from traditional medicines.
This study will investigate the why disease is worse in infants and how early life viral infection impacts the developing immune system.
This is a strategic “pilot” project in which we are seeking basic information on the immune cell content of gestational tissues.
This project investigates how different populations of cells within the respiratory tract immune system are altered during a viral infection.
Our results suggest that reciprocal influences between alpha1-adrenoceptors and inflammatory cytokines may play a role in normal inflammatory responses
We have demonstrated that a single dose of a closely related commensal can delay onset of NTHi otitis media in vivo