Publications by authors named "Jillian Masters"
Respiratory tract infections pose considerable global health challenges. Upper airway colonization is pivotal to these infections, including those caused by species. We identified an oligosaccharide, bordetellae colonization oligosaccharide (b-Cool), crucial for early nasal colonization of .
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- Neonatal immune systems (NIS) are often thought to be underdeveloped, but recent research shows that neonatal mice can effectively clear a specific strain of Bordetella pertussis (Bp) better than adults, suggesting that their immune response can be quite strong despite potential weaknesses.
- The study found that neutrophils play a crucial role in rapidly clearing this Bp strain, as depleting or blocking them hindered the immune response in neonatal mice.
- Complement proteins also independently support the clearance process; without them, neonates struggled to recruit neutrophils, but treatment with these proteins restored their ability to fight the infection, implying that pertussis toxin can disrupt the efficient functioning of the NIS.
Adaptive immune protection of the middle ears differs from that of the respiratory tract.
Front Cell Infect Microbiol
December 2023
Article Synopsis
- The adaptive immune system in the middle ear is recognized for its efficacy, but the specific mechanisms of protection against infections are not well understood compared to other parts of the body like the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts.
- Research using a mouse model that simulates acute otitis media revealed that while the middle ear can effectively develop immunity against reinfection after recovering from a primary infection, the upper respiratory tract shows different immunological responses and levels of protection.
- Key immune cells (CD4+ and CD8+ T cells) are critical for protecting the middle ear against future infections, and intranasal vaccinations have been shown to effectively provide protection to the middle ear, highlighting its role as a distinct site for adaptive immunity.