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The intersect of genetics, environment, and microbiota in asthma-perspectives and challengesIn asthma, a significant portion of the interaction between genetics and environment occurs through microbiota. The proposed mechanisms behind this interaction are complex and at times contradictory. This review covers recent developments in our understanding of this interaction: the "microbial hypothesis" and the "farm effect"; the role of endotoxin and genetic variation in pattern recognition systems; the interaction with allergen exposure; the additional involvement of host gut and airway microbiota; the role of viral respiratory infections in interaction with the 17q21 and CDHR3 genetic loci; and the importance of in utero and early-life timing of exposures.
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Protection against neonatal respiratory viral infection via maternal treatment during pregnancy with the benign immune training agent OM-85Incomplete maturation of immune regulatory functions at birth is antecedent to the heightened risk for severe respiratory infections during infancy. Our forerunner animal model studies demonstrated that maternal treatment with the microbial-derived immune training agent OM-85 during pregnancy promotes accelerated postnatal maturation of mechanisms that regulate inflammatory processes in the offspring airways.
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Progressive increase of FcεRI expression across several PBMC subsets is associated with atopy and atopic asthma within school-aged childrenThe expression pattern of FcεRI on DC and basophils differentiates asthmatic from non-asthmatic atopic children
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Airway Epithelial Cells Condition Dendritic Cells to Express Multiple Immune Surveillance GenesAEC-conditioned DC showed selective upregulation of chemokines that recruit Th1 cells, but minimal change in chemokines linked to Th2 cell recruitment.
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Antibacterial antibody responses associated with the development of asthma in house dust mite-sensitised and non-sensitised childrenWe aimed to measure the antibody development to 2 bacteria in a birth cohort at high risk of allergic disease, and to assess which responses are asthma-linked.
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Epithelial-dendritic cell interactions in allergic disordersAirway epithelial cells act through multiple mechanisms to function as an important component of the pulmonary defence strategy that is crucial...
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Restricted aeroallergen access to airway mucosal dendritic cells in vivo limits allergen-specificChronic innocuous aeroallergen exposure attenuates CD4+ T cell-mediated airways hyperresponsiveness in mice; however, the mechanism(s) remain unclear
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Structural and IgE binding analyses of recombinant Der p 2 expressed from the hosts Escherichia coli and Pichia pastorisThe house dust mite allergen Der p 2 is one of the most important indoor allergens associated with allergic disease.
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Early immunological influences on asthma development: opportunities for early interventionEarly immunological influences on asthma development: opportunities for early intervention
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Acute viral bronchiolitis in infants and young childrenThis project aims to plug this knowledge gap, and to open up new opportunities for development of better treatments targeted specifically at infants.