Researchers at the University of British Columbia have discovered how giving antibiotics to newborns can increase their risk of developing lifelong respiratory allergies.
This groundbreaking study, published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, reveals for the first time the specific process by which antibiotics can disrupt a baby’s gut microbes, leading to allergies and asthma later in life.
The research team, from the School of Biomedical Engineering (SBME), has uncovered a detailed chain of events that explains why some children are more likely to develop allergies after being treated with antibiotics early in life.
This discovery opens up new possibilities for preventing and treating allergies in the future.
“Our study shows how gut bacteria and antibiotics shape a newborn’s immune system, making them more susceptible to allergies,” said Dr. Kelly McNagny, the senior author of the study and a professor in the SBME and the Department of Medical Genetics.
“This finding changes the way we think about chronic diseases and how they develop. The pathway we identified has long-lasting effects on a person’s risk of chronic diseases like allergies as they grow older.”
Allergies occur when the immune system overreacts to harmless substances like pollen or pet dander, mistaking them for dangerous invaders.
Normally, our immune system protects us from harmful threats such as bacteria, viruses, and parasites.
However, in people with allergies, the immune system gets confused and triggers a response that causes symptoms like sneezing, itching, or swelling.
The foundation for our immune system is laid very early in life, and research over the past 20 years has shown that the microbes in a baby’s gut play a crucial role. Newborns often receive antibiotics to fight infections, but these antibiotics can reduce certain beneficial bacteria in the gut. Some of these bacteria produce a compound called butyrate, which is essential for stopping the processes that lead to allergies.
Dr. McNagny’s lab had already discovered that babies with fewer butyrate-producing bacteria are more prone to developing allergies. They also found that giving butyrate as a supplement in early life could prevent or even reverse this risk.
In their latest study, conducted with mice, the researchers uncovered how this process works. They found that mice with reduced gut bacteria who didn’t receive a butyrate supplement developed twice as many immune cells called ILC2s.
These cells, which were discovered less than 15 years ago, are now believed to play a major role in the development of allergies.
The study showed that ILC2s produce molecules that activate white blood cells, causing them to create large amounts of specific antibodies.
These antibodies coat the cells as a defense mechanism, giving the allergic person an immune system that is ready to attack even the smallest trigger.
This research sheds light on how early-life antibiotic use can have long-term effects on a child’s immune system, potentially leading to a higher risk of allergies.
Understanding this process is a crucial step toward developing better strategies for preventing and treating allergies in the future.
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