The Power of First Impressions: Can Influenza Imprinting during Infancy Inform Vaccine Design?
Influenza virus infection causes severe respiratory illness in people worldwide, disproportionately affecting infants. The immature respiratory tract coupled with the developing immune system, and lack of previous exposure to the virus is thought to synergistically play a role in the increased disea...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-09-01
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| Series: | Vaccines |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/8/3/546 |
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| author | Melissa Rioux Mara McNeil Magen E. Francis Nicholas Dawe Mary Foley Joanne M. Langley Alyson A. Kelvin |
| author_facet | Melissa Rioux Mara McNeil Magen E. Francis Nicholas Dawe Mary Foley Joanne M. Langley Alyson A. Kelvin |
| author_sort | Melissa Rioux |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Influenza virus infection causes severe respiratory illness in people worldwide, disproportionately affecting infants. The immature respiratory tract coupled with the developing immune system, and lack of previous exposure to the virus is thought to synergistically play a role in the increased disease severity in younger age groups. No influenza vaccines are available for those under six months, although maternal influenza immunization is recommended. In children aged six months to two years, vaccine immunogenicity is dampened compared to older children and adults. Unlike older children and adults, the infant immune system has fewer antigen-presenting cells and soluble immune factors. Paradoxically, we know that a person’s first infection with the influenza virus during infancy or childhood leads to the establishment of life-long immunity toward that particular virus strain. This is called <i>influenza imprinting</i>. We contend that by understanding the influenza imprinting event in the context of the infant immune system, we will be able to design more effective influenza vaccines for both infants and adults. Working through the lens of imprinting, using infant influenza animal models such as mice and ferrets which have proven useful for infant immunity studies, we will gain a better understanding of imprinting and its implications regarding vaccine design. This review examines literature regarding infant immune and respiratory development, current vaccine strategies, and highlights the importance of research into the imprinting event in infant animal models to develop more effective and protective vaccines for all including young children. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T16:12:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-068c082491ac4a27b18f0738108cff28 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-393X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T16:12:13Z |
| publishDate | 2020-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Vaccines |
| spelling | doaj.art-068c082491ac4a27b18f0738108cff282023-11-20T14:19:56ZengMDPI AGVaccines2076-393X2020-09-018354610.3390/vaccines8030546The Power of First Impressions: Can Influenza Imprinting during Infancy Inform Vaccine Design?Melissa Rioux0Mara McNeil1Magen E. Francis2Nicholas Dawe3Mary Foley4Joanne M. Langley5Alyson A. Kelvin6Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, CanadaDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, CanadaDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, CanadaDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, CanadaDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, CanadaDepartment of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3K 6R8, CanadaDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, CanadaInfluenza virus infection causes severe respiratory illness in people worldwide, disproportionately affecting infants. The immature respiratory tract coupled with the developing immune system, and lack of previous exposure to the virus is thought to synergistically play a role in the increased disease severity in younger age groups. No influenza vaccines are available for those under six months, although maternal influenza immunization is recommended. In children aged six months to two years, vaccine immunogenicity is dampened compared to older children and adults. Unlike older children and adults, the infant immune system has fewer antigen-presenting cells and soluble immune factors. Paradoxically, we know that a person’s first infection with the influenza virus during infancy or childhood leads to the establishment of life-long immunity toward that particular virus strain. This is called <i>influenza imprinting</i>. We contend that by understanding the influenza imprinting event in the context of the infant immune system, we will be able to design more effective influenza vaccines for both infants and adults. Working through the lens of imprinting, using infant influenza animal models such as mice and ferrets which have proven useful for infant immunity studies, we will gain a better understanding of imprinting and its implications regarding vaccine design. This review examines literature regarding infant immune and respiratory development, current vaccine strategies, and highlights the importance of research into the imprinting event in infant animal models to develop more effective and protective vaccines for all including young children.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/8/3/546influenza virusimmune responseinfant immunityimprinting<i>Orthomyxoviridae</i>vaccination |
| spellingShingle | Melissa Rioux Mara McNeil Magen E. Francis Nicholas Dawe Mary Foley Joanne M. Langley Alyson A. Kelvin The Power of First Impressions: Can Influenza Imprinting during Infancy Inform Vaccine Design? Vaccines influenza virus immune response infant immunity imprinting <i>Orthomyxoviridae</i> vaccination |
| title | The Power of First Impressions: Can Influenza Imprinting during Infancy Inform Vaccine Design? |
| title_full | The Power of First Impressions: Can Influenza Imprinting during Infancy Inform Vaccine Design? |
| title_fullStr | The Power of First Impressions: Can Influenza Imprinting during Infancy Inform Vaccine Design? |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Power of First Impressions: Can Influenza Imprinting during Infancy Inform Vaccine Design? |
| title_short | The Power of First Impressions: Can Influenza Imprinting during Infancy Inform Vaccine Design? |
| title_sort | power of first impressions can influenza imprinting during infancy inform vaccine design |
| topic | influenza virus immune response infant immunity imprinting <i>Orthomyxoviridae</i> vaccination |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/8/3/546 |
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