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Intracerebroventricular and Intravascular Injection of Viral Particles and Fluorescent Microbeads into the Neonatal Brain
Published on: July 24, 2016
Predisposition to viral infection of the fetus and neonate
Maya I Rhyn1, Angela Castellano1, Valeria Cortesi2
1Neonatal and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Mother, Child and Adolescent Department, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
Insights
Infants face higher risks from viral infections due to unique immune vulnerabilities. Understanding inborn errors of immunity and auto-antibodies is key to developing new treatments for severe early-life viral diseases.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Virology
- Neonatology
Background:
- Infants exhibit heightened susceptibility to viral infections, leading to severe disease and mortality.
- Interindividual variability in clinical outcomes suggests factors beyond maternal immunity are involved.
- Inborn errors of immunity and auto-antibodies neutralizing type I interferons (IFNs) are recognized causes of severe viral disease.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of inborn errors of antiviral immunity in early-life viral diseases.
- To explore the significance of auto-antibodies neutralizing type I IFNs in neonatal viral infections.
- To understand the molecular mechanisms underlying severe viral disease in newborns and infants.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on inborn errors of immunity and auto-antibodies in viral diseases.
- Analysis of neonatal immune system specificities and maternal immune interactions.
- Inference from studies of viral disease in older individuals to understand early-life immunity.
Main Results:
- Inborn errors of immunity contribute to severe viral disease in infants.
- Auto-antibodies against type I IFNs are critical determinants of viral disease severity.
- Early-life viral disease pathogenesis involves complex interactions within the neonatal immune system.
Conclusions:
- Investigating inborn errors of antiviral immunity and auto-antibodies is crucial for understanding infant viral disease.
- Effective prevention and treatment strategies require consideration of the neonatal immune system's unique characteristics.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the specific roles of these factors in early-life viral infections.
Abstract:
Viral infection-related hospitalization and mortality rates are highest in human newborns and infants compared to older children and adults, suggesting age-specific vulnerability and a non-redundant role for the maternal immune system. However, there is immense interindividual variability of clinical outcomes following early-life exposure to nearly any given virus that cannot be fully explained by variation in maternal immune protection. Inborn errors of immunity underlying defective control of viral replication or insufficient immune regulation following a viral trigger are increasingly recognized as the molecular etiology of severe viral disease in children and adults. In parallel, auto-antibodies (auto-Abs) neutralizing type I interferons (IFNs) are emerging as universal determinants of viral disease. The role of inborn errors of antiviral immunity in the fetus, the newborn, and the infant is starting to emerge or can be inferred from the study of viral disease in older individuals. The investigation of the molecular mechanisms underlying early-life viral disease in individual patients is crucial to the development of effective prevention and treatment strategies. Novel studies addressing the role of inborn errors of antiviral immunity or auto-Abs neutralizing type I IFNs in early-life viral infections should take into account the specific aspects of the neonatal immune system and its complex interactions with the maternal immune system.
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