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Despite vaccination, influenza and otitis media (OM) remain leading causes of illness. We previously found that the human respiratory commensal Haemophilus haemolyticus prevents bacterial infection in vitro and that the related murine commensal Muribacter muris delays OM development in mice. The observation that M muris pretreatment reduced lung influenza titer and inflammation suggests that these bacteria could be exploited for protection against influenza/OM.
Head, Pregnancy and Early Life Immunology
This project investigates how different populations of cells within the respiratory tract immune system are altered during a viral infection.
This is a strategic “pilot” project in which we are seeking basic information on the immune cell content of gestational tissues.
This study will investigate the why disease is worse in infants and how early life viral infection impacts the developing immune system.
This study will identify how the immune system contributes to neurodevelopmental outcomes and will investigate the use of an agent from traditional medicines.
In many countries, infant vaccination with acellular pertussis (aP) vaccines has replaced use of more reactogenic whole-cell pertussis (wP) vaccines. Based on immunological and epidemiological evidence, we hypothesised that substituting the first aP dose in the routine vaccination schedule with wP vaccine might protect against IgE-mediated food allergy. We aimed to compare reactogenicity, immunogenicity, and IgE-mediated responses of a mixed wP/aP primary schedule versus the standard aP-only schedule.
Carcinogenic effects of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) with reference to skin cancer are the basis of widely implemented recommendations to avoid sun exposure. Whether the benefits of "restrictive sun policies" outweigh their potential harms due to diminished beneficial effects of sunlight exposure remain a matter of controversy.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) demonstrates a latitude gradient in prevalence and severity, implicating ultraviolet B (UVB) exposure and photoimmune mechanisms in disease risk and progression. While narrowband (NB)-UVB phototherapy has long stabilized inflammation in dermatology, its systemic immunomodulatory effects in MS remain incompletely defined.
IgE-mediated sensitisation to egg is common in infants. In some cases, the processes leading to egg sensitisation are established in early life, even before introduction to solid foods. The underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood.