From the moment they're born, newborns - or, specifically, their immune systems - must learn to fight germs without harming their own tissues.
In a new study, Yale researchers found that one type of immune cell in newborns - a white blood cell known as a CD8+ T cell (or a cytotoxic T cell) - is "primed and ready" to fight. Within hours of sensing a threat, researchers say, these cells activate and mount a strong, albeit short-lived, defense.
The findings, they suggest, may offer critical insights toward developing new therapies or vaccines for infants.
"These findings help explain why babies respond differently to infections than adults," said Nina Brodsky, assistant professor of pediatrics at Yale School of Medicine (YSM), pediatric critical care physician, and first author of the study. "By understanding how their immune system is programmed, we may be able to better predict - and eventually prevent - severe illnesses in infants, such as dangerous inflammatory responses to viruses."
The results are published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
