title: Ontogeny of early life immunity.
abstract: The human immune system comprises cellular and molecular components designed to coordinately prevent infection while avoiding potentially harmful inflammation and autoimmunity. Immunity varies with age, reflecting unique age-dependent challenges including fetal gestation, the neonatal phase, and infancy. Here, we review novel mechanistic insights into early life immunity, with an emphasis on emerging models of human immune ontogeny, which may inform age-specific translational development of novel anti-infectives, immunomodulators, and vaccines.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Dowling
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address: ofer.levy@childrens.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Ofer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Levy
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology*; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000196:embryology* / Q000254:growth & development; D007109:Immunity; D056747:Immunomodulation; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007239:Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D014612:Vaccines
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D014612:Vaccines
keywords: Toll-like receptor; dendritic cell; immune ontogeny; newborn infant; vaccines