Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 16, 2025
Intranasal Immunization and Milk Collection in Studies of Maternal Immunization in New Zealand White Rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus
Published on: July 31, 2021
Human milk IgA promotes normal immune development by limiting Th17-inducing Erysipelatoclostridium ramosum in the
Katherine Donald1,2, Antonio Serapio-Palacios3, Tahereh Bozorgmehr2
1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver V6T 1Z3, BC, Canada.
Abstract:
The gut microbiota is highly dynamic during the first year of life and plays a crucial role in immune development. Breastfeeding is known to support infant health, but the contributions of the numerous breastmilk components to gut microbiota and immune maturation remain unclear. Secretory IgA (SIgA), the most abundant antibody in human milk, is a key modulator of gut microbiota composition. We have shown previously that mouse milk SIgA protects against asthma by limiting segmented filamentous bacteria in mice. The present study uncovers a similar mechanism in humans. Using human milk from the CHILD Cohort Study, we define a relationship between human milk SIgA and infant gut microbiota composition. This leads to the identification of Erysipelatoclostridium ramosum as a key player in immune development, which is controlled by milk SIgA. Cell culture modeling demonstrates that SIgA restricts the capacity of E. ramosum to adhere to the intestinal epithelium and to induce Th17 responses, which are implicated in allergic and other chronic diseases.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:22Development of Immunocompetence
The initial cells that migrate from the fetal thymus settle within the skin and epithelial tissues lining the mouth, digestive tract, and in females, the uterus and vagina. These cells, including skin-based dendritic cells, serve as antigen-presenting cells, playing a key role in T cell activation.
Subsequent T...
01:15Transcytosis of IgG
IgG molecules from a mother undergo transcytosis starting around 13 weeks of gestation. The amount of IgG transferred and entering the fetal blood circulation increases with...
01:23Anatomy of the Intestines
Small Intestines
The small intestine is an ~7 meter-long tube with an inner diameter of just 2.5 cm. Since most nutrients are absorbed here, the inner lining of the...