Microbial modulation of the neonatal immune system: Lessons from infants and piglets

Abstract Text: Studies from germ-free and gnotobiotic animals clearly demonstrate that basic developmental features of the mammalian immune system depend on interactions with the microbiome. The objective of this presentation is to review how early life nutrition and the microbiome influence immune development and function in the neonate. Comparative aspects between different forms of nutrition (mother-fed versus artificially-reared) on systemic and mucosal immunity and findings across species (human versus piglet) will be highlighted.  Briefly, our laboratory has shown that the T-cell and natural killer cell repertoire and cytokine secretion profiles differ by mode of nutrition in both species.  In addition, although the composition of the microbiota differ between human infants, being bifidobacteria-predominant, and piglets, where lactobacilli predominate, the microbiome composition of both species responds to mode of nutrition and the addition of prebiotics to formula.  Data from our group on the impact of transfaunation of breast-fed infant microbiome into piglets on piglet gut gene expression will be presented. Lastly, findings from our laboratory showing cross-talk between the bacterial metagenome and the intestinal epithelial transcriptome of human infants using shed epithelial cells will be described. (Supported by NIH grant R01 HD061929 and Hatch ILLU-698-311). 

Keywords: microbiota, human, swine, immunity, nutrition