Infant Gut Microbes Shape Future Health and Allergy Risk
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The type and mix of gut bacteria during the first 6 months of an infant's life has a profound influence on the developing immune system and on the risk for allergies and asthma, according to new research. In fact, manipulating an infant's "dysfunctional" microbiome might soon be a therapeutic approach, according to several experts who spoke during a plenary session here at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology 2015.
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@zeenam The investigators found that factors such as breastfeeding, mode of birth, and pet exposure, which have been known to affect allergy and asthma, do so by influencing the infant microbiome. In turn, the microbiome affects the development of regulatory T-cells, immunoglobulin E responsiveness, and the development of allergy and asthma symptoms. One of the series was the first human study to show an association between microbial richness, diversity, and evenness in the infant gut and regulatory T-cell development, all of which help keep allergies in check.