Gut microbiota and immune cell development in early life

Globally, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis kills up to 200,000 infants every year and is a major independent risk factor for asthma, which affects 300 million people worldwide. Both diseases typically begin in early childhood when diverse communities of microorganisms are being assembled in the infant gut. These microbes and their products (i.e. the microbiome) strongly influence immune development and homeostasis. Colonisation of the infant gut may start in utero, and expands rapidly after birth, with large numbers of microorganisms being vertically transmitted. Hence, a mother's diet, which heavily influences microbiota composition, will likely affect the development of her offspring's microbiome and immune education, and as a consequence, susceptibility to disease.In this collaboration between the Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR), The University of Queensland, and University of Western Australia, we aim to determine the extent to which imbalances in the microbiome (microbial dysbiosis) are associated with the immune dysregulation shared by both diseases.