Understanding Antibody Responses in Early Life: Baby Steps towards Developing an Effective Influenza Vaccine
The immune system of young infants is both quantitatively and qualitatively distinct from that of adults, with diminished responsiveness leaving these individuals vulnerable to infection. Because of this, young infants suffer increased morbidity and mortality from respiratory pathogens such as influ...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-07-01
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| Series: | Viruses |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/13/7/1392 |
| _version_ | 1797525928145846272 |
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| author | Elene A. Clemens Martha A. Alexander-Miller |
| author_facet | Elene A. Clemens Martha A. Alexander-Miller |
| author_sort | Elene A. Clemens |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The immune system of young infants is both quantitatively and qualitatively distinct from that of adults, with diminished responsiveness leaving these individuals vulnerable to infection. Because of this, young infants suffer increased morbidity and mortality from respiratory pathogens such as influenza viruses. The impaired generation of robust and persistent antibody responses in these individuals makes overcoming this increased vulnerability through vaccination challenging. Because of this, an effective vaccine against influenza viruses in infants under 6 months is not available. Furthermore, vaccination against influenza viruses is challenging even in adults due to the high antigenic variability across viral strains, allowing immune evasion even after induction of robust immune responses. This has led to substantial interest in understanding how specific antibody responses are formed to variable and conserved components of influenza viruses, as immune responses tend to strongly favor recognition of variable epitopes. Elicitation of broadly protective antibody in young infants, therefore, requires that both the unique characteristics of young infant immunity as well as the antibody immunodominance present among epitopes be effectively addressed. Here, we review our current understanding of the antibody response in newborns and young infants and discuss recent developments in vaccination strategies that can modulate both magnitude and epitope specificity of IAV-specific antibody. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T09:19:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9428c0f289284eb5a240b16b227be717 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4915 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T09:19:58Z |
| publishDate | 2021-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Viruses |
| spelling | doaj.art-9428c0f289284eb5a240b16b227be7172023-11-22T05:15:17ZengMDPI AGViruses1999-49152021-07-01137139210.3390/v13071392Understanding Antibody Responses in Early Life: Baby Steps towards Developing an Effective Influenza VaccineElene A. Clemens0Martha A. Alexander-Miller1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, USADepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, USAThe immune system of young infants is both quantitatively and qualitatively distinct from that of adults, with diminished responsiveness leaving these individuals vulnerable to infection. Because of this, young infants suffer increased morbidity and mortality from respiratory pathogens such as influenza viruses. The impaired generation of robust and persistent antibody responses in these individuals makes overcoming this increased vulnerability through vaccination challenging. Because of this, an effective vaccine against influenza viruses in infants under 6 months is not available. Furthermore, vaccination against influenza viruses is challenging even in adults due to the high antigenic variability across viral strains, allowing immune evasion even after induction of robust immune responses. This has led to substantial interest in understanding how specific antibody responses are formed to variable and conserved components of influenza viruses, as immune responses tend to strongly favor recognition of variable epitopes. Elicitation of broadly protective antibody in young infants, therefore, requires that both the unique characteristics of young infant immunity as well as the antibody immunodominance present among epitopes be effectively addressed. Here, we review our current understanding of the antibody response in newborns and young infants and discuss recent developments in vaccination strategies that can modulate both magnitude and epitope specificity of IAV-specific antibody.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/13/7/1392newborninfluenza virusvaccineB cellTfhantibody |
| spellingShingle | Elene A. Clemens Martha A. Alexander-Miller Understanding Antibody Responses in Early Life: Baby Steps towards Developing an Effective Influenza Vaccine Viruses newborn influenza virus vaccine B cell Tfh antibody |
| title | Understanding Antibody Responses in Early Life: Baby Steps towards Developing an Effective Influenza Vaccine |
| title_full | Understanding Antibody Responses in Early Life: Baby Steps towards Developing an Effective Influenza Vaccine |
| title_fullStr | Understanding Antibody Responses in Early Life: Baby Steps towards Developing an Effective Influenza Vaccine |
| title_full_unstemmed | Understanding Antibody Responses in Early Life: Baby Steps towards Developing an Effective Influenza Vaccine |
| title_short | Understanding Antibody Responses in Early Life: Baby Steps towards Developing an Effective Influenza Vaccine |
| title_sort | understanding antibody responses in early life baby steps towards developing an effective influenza vaccine |
| topic | newborn influenza virus vaccine B cell Tfh antibody |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/13/7/1392 |
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