Re: 'Holy Grail' for Boosting Infant Immunity

[Guest guest]

Quote: Babies are born with weak immune systems, which puts them at a higher susceptibility to both bacterial and viral infection that can lead to severe complications, including death.THAT'S RIGHT! So why would we want to inject them with viruses? As a result, vaccines that could prevent against infection tend to be ineffective in newborns. But by triggering one of the body's proteins -- called a toll-like receptor, or TLR -- a newborn's immune system could react and defend the body against foreign invaders. "We've stumbled across a molecular holy grail in newborn immunology," said lead author Dr. Ofer Levy, a principal investigator of the Division of Infectious Diseases at

Children's Hospital in Boston. The paper was published April 25 in the online edition of the journal Blood. One of the authors on the paper was a 3M representative, which sells medical equipment and technology. Levy and colleagues collected blood from healthy adults, as well as newborn cord blood, to conduct laboratory tests. The researchers focused their study on the 10 TLRs that exist in the body. In adults, TLRs work together as the body's key defense against infection, mobilizing the white blood cells. But in newborns, TLRs aren't activated. Part of the reason is evolutionary: if the fetus were to send out inflammatory immune responses, the mother's body might reject it. Evolution has skewed the newborn's immune system to avoid these immune responses. But the research team

discovered they could actually spur one of the TLRs to protect against invaders -- TLR8. Using harmless agents that mimic viral antigens, the researchers were able to elicit a robust reaction from TLR8's white blood cells. This reaction could potentially help vaccines work more efficiently in newborns. Since TLRs were only discovered in the last decade or so, Levy's research on infants builds on a new story in biology, he said. Children could be vaccinated earlier against dangerous infections like respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a flu-like virus; pneumococcus; HIV, and rotavirus. "If we could develop a vaccine to give at birth, we could close the window of vulnerability in the very young," Levy said. Most vaccines are given at two, four and six months, which leaves the child

susceptible, he added. An adjuvant -- or add-on -- containing the TLR8-stimluating agent could be given in conjunction with a vaccine at birth, which would ultimately strengthen the newborn's resistance to disease. The research also has a global impact, Levy said. In many developing countries in Africa, for instance, newborns only visit healthcare providers at birth. From a practical standpoint, a vaccine given at birth could translate to better health coverage in countries where regular visits to the doctor are few and far between. Based on the dramatic immune effects in the lab, Levy plans to start testing on animal models. The research has the potential as a breakthrough for treating infections in newborns, said on, professor of pediatrics in pediatric infectious

diseases at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City. "It's exciting because it is a tool that can be harnessed to bring a part of the immune system up to the point where it might process antigens like a 2- or 3-month-old," he said. The only protection babies have when they are born are antibodies from the mother's placenta while in utero. on and other researchers have been trying to find ways to get the babies ready to be out in the cold cruel world where they can be attacked by various infections, he said. Children born in unsterile conditions or whose mothers have HIV would be ideal candidates for early vaccines, said Cashore, a professor of pediatrics at Brown University. An HIV vaccine has not yet been developed. Cashore said Levy's research on TLR8 is opening new

doors to understanding newborn immunity. "It's a bit like having a skeleton key -- a tool which allows you to take a first step that's otherwise not available," he said.

[Guest guest]

Why does modern medicine want to cannibalize our unborn to rob them of their stem cells? They say that stem cells therapies might cure diseased people. So why can't stem cells be what's been protecting babies against diseases for centuries?

Re: 'Holy grail' for boosting infant immunity

Quote: Babies are born with weak immune systems, which puts them at a higher susceptibility to both bacterial and viral infection that can lead to severe complications, including death.THAT'S RIGHT! So why would we want to inject them with viruses? As a result, vaccines that could prevent against infection tend to be ineffective in newborns. But by triggering one of the body's proteins -- called a toll-like receptor, or TLR -- a newborn's immune system could react and defend the body against foreign invaders. "We've stumbled across a molecular holy grail in newborn immunology," said lead author Dr. Ofer Levy, a principal investigator of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Children's Hospital in Boston. The paper was published April 25 in the online edition of the journal Blood. One of the authors on the paper was a 3M representative, which sells medical equipment and technology. Levy and colleagues collected blood from healthy adults, as well as newborn cord blood, to conduct laboratory tests. The researchers focused their study on the 10 TLRs that exist in the body. In adults, TLRs work together as the body's key defense against infection, mobilizing the white blood cells. But in newborns, TLRs aren't activated. Part of the reason is evolutionary: if the fetus were to send out inflammatory immune responses, the mother's body might reject it. Evolution has skewed the newborn's immune system to avoid these immune responses. But the research team discovered they could actually spur one of the TLRs to protect against invaders -- TLR8. Using harmless agents that mimic viral antigens, the researchers were able to elicit a robust reaction from TLR8's white blood cells. This reaction could potentially help vaccines work more efficiently in newborns. Since TLRs were only discovered in the last decade or so, Levy's research on infants builds on a new story in biology, he said. Children could be vaccinated earlier against dangerous infections like respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a flu-like virus; pneumococcus; HIV, and rotavirus. "If we could develop a vaccine to give at birth, we could close the window of vulnerability in the very young," Levy said. Most vaccines are given at two, four and six months, which leaves the child susceptible, he added. An adjuvant -- or add-on -- containing the TLR8-stimluating agent could be given in conjunction with a vaccine at birth, which would ultimately strengthen the newborn's resistance to disease. The research also has a global impact, Levy said. In many developing countries in Africa, for instance, newborns only visit healthcare providers at birth. From a practical standpoint, a vaccine given at birth could translate to better health coverage in countries where regular visits to the doctor are few and far between. Based on the dramatic immune effects in the lab, Levy plans to start testing on animal models. The research has the potential as a breakthrough for treating infections in newborns, said on, professor of pediatrics in pediatric infectious diseases at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City. "It's exciting because it is a tool that can be harnessed to bring a part of the immune system up to the point where it might process antigens like a 2- or 3-month-old," he said. The only protection babies have when they are born are antibodies from the mother's placenta while in utero. on and other researchers have been trying to find ways to get the babies ready to be out in the cold cruel world where they can be attacked by various infections, he said. Children born in unsterile conditions or whose mothers have HIV would be ideal candidates for early vaccines, said Cashore, a professor of pediatrics at Brown University. An HIV vaccine has not yet been developed. Cashore said Levy's research on TLR8 is opening new doors to understanding newborn immunity. "It's a bit like having a skeleton key -- a tool which allows you to take a first step that's otherwise not available," he said.

[Guest guest]

" Children born in unsterile conditions or whose mothers have HIV would be ideal

candidates for early vaccines, said Cashore, a professor of pediatrics

at Brown University. "

Sure, because they can blame those unsterile/HIV conditions for any resulting

problems.

Winnie

'Holy Grail' for Boosting Infant Immunity

Recipient list suppressed: ;

> from a homeopath in Canada

>

> hi Sheri,

> No need to reply. I expect you are still up to your eyeballs in

> moving boxes!

> I am researching the infant immune system for my classes that I

> am

> offering...came across this little gem. It's odd how when I read

> the

> medical stuff, the infant immune system is immature and when

> reading

> a " get vaccinated " site, it is all of a sudden OK to vaccinate

> these

> immature immune systems because they can handle it. HUH?

> No wonder parents go crazy trying to research! love donna

>

> >

bin/artman/exec/view.cgi?archive=1 & num=5323 & printer=1>http://www.nationalledger.\

com/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi?archive=1 & num=5323 & printer=1

>

> article from 2006

>

>

>

>

> Donna Powers, RCSHom, CCH, RSHom(NA)

> Homeopathic Healing Art Practitioner

> 403-230-8505

> powers4@...

> powersofhomeopathy@...

> www.powersofhomeopathy.com

>

>