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Role of early life immune regulation in asthma development
Johanna Krusche1,2, Sarah Basse1, Bianca Schaub3,4
1University Children's Hospital Munich, LMU Munich, Lindwurmstr.4, 80337, Munich, Germany.
Insights
Childhood asthma development involves genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors influencing immune system maturation. Understanding these interactions is key for developing effective prevention and treatment strategies for healthy immune development.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Developmental Biology
- Environmental Health
Background:
- Childhood asthma development is a complex interplay of genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors.
- The developing immune system in pregnancy and early childhood is highly susceptible to external influences.
- Both immutable (genetics) and modifiable (epigenetics) factors shape immune responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the effects of exogenous and endogenous factors on a child's maturing immune system.
- To delineate the importance of immune system regulation for preventing and treating childhood asthma.
- To explore potential intervention strategies for early-life immune modulation.
Main Methods:
- This review synthesizes existing research on immune system development in early life.
- It examines the impact of prenatal and postnatal factors on immune maturation.
- The review discusses the roles of innate immunity (e.g., innate lymphoid cells) and adaptive immunity (e.g., T-cell subpopulations).
Main Results:
- Prenatal factors (maternal nutrition, smoking, infections) and postnatal factors (mode of delivery) significantly influence immune regulation.
- Balanced innate immunity and T-cell equilibrium are crucial for healthy immune maturation and preventing inflammation.
- Later childhood may require compensatory mechanisms to correct deviant immune trajectories.
Conclusions:
- Early life interventions targeting immune system maturation can potentially prevent or treat childhood asthma.
- Understanding the complex interactions between genetics, epigenetics, and environment is vital for developing targeted strategies.
- Modulating epigenetic regulations offers a promising avenue for early prevention and treatment of immune-related disorders.
Abstract:
Development of childhood asthma is complex with a strong interaction of genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors. Ultimately, it is critical how the immune system of a child responds to these influences and whether effective strategies for a balanced and healthy immune maturation can be assured. Pregnancy and early childhood are particularly susceptible for exogenous influences due to the developing nature of a child's immune system. While endogenous influences such as family history and the genetic background are immutable, epigenetic regulations can be modulated by both heredity and environmental exposures. Prenatal influences such as a mother's nutrition, smoking, or infections influence the complex interplay of innate and adaptive immune regulation as well as peri- and postnatal influences including mode of delivery. Early in life, induction and continuous training of healthy maturation include balanced innate immunity (e.g., via innate lymphoid cells) and an equilibrium of T-cell subpopulations (e.g., via regulatory T cells) to counter-regulate potential pro-inflammatory or exuberant immune reactions. Later in childhood, rather compensatory immune mechanisms are required to modulate deviant regulation of a child's already primed immune trajectory. The specific effects of exogenous and endogenous influences on a child's maturing immune system are summarized in this review, and its importance and potential intervention for early prevention and treatment strategies are delineated.
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