Immune System Response Discovery in Newborns Could Lead to Earlier Vaccine Administration

Researchers at the TCD School of Medicine and the National Children’s Research Centre (NCRC) in Ireland have discovered a distinct immune response in newborns that could lead to both earlier vaccine administration and reduced need for multiple booster shots. According to the researchers, their discovery is a “class of danger signals” that are highly efficient at triggering an immune response in young infants.

The discovery was made after scientists theorized newborns may retain a more robust immune response to viruses and found a class of adjuvants (one of two key components in vaccines) that activate specialized sensors that drove a very strong immune response in newborns where other microbial infections arise. “These sensors are normally activated in response to viral infection and direct the immune system to clear up viral infections,” said Sarah Doyle, MD, of the NCRC. “Harnessing these efficient antiviral immune responses will help in the design of targeted adjuvants for pediatric vaccines by directly activating immune responses that are fully functional in neonates and infants.”

“Many adjuvants used in vaccines today were developed in adults; however, babies and children are not simply little adults, and because of this, a child’s immune system responds differently than an adult’s immune system does,” said Kiva Brennan, MD, at TCD School of Medicine and lead author of the study. As a result, the key to improving vaccine efficacy is the design of adjuvants that specifically target and kick the newborn immune response into action.”