Study Illuminates Immune System Development in Newborns

New NIAID-funded research sheds light on the molecular events that unfold during the first week of life, a critical developmental period for the immune system. Using a systems biology approach, scientists characterized the dramatic molecular changes that occur in human infants soon after birth. Despite some variability between individuals, these changes followed a robust trajectory common to newborns from different geographical areas. The approach and resulting observations, reported today in Nature Communications, will aid future studies to characterize how a broad array of factors may affect the newborn immune system.