Susceptibility to respiratory pathogens is increased during early life, yet children can mount highly effective immune responses to novel pathogens in the absence of a fully developed immune system. We found that bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue (BALT) develops in the lungs early in life and supports germinal center formation and B cell differentiation to produce antibodies specific for respiratory pathogens, revealing a mechanism for immune protection in an as-yet-undeveloped immune system.
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This is a summary of: Matsumoto, R. et al. Induction of bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue is an early life adaptation for promoting human B cell immunity. Nat. Immunol. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41590-023-01557-3 (2023).
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Formation of bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue (BALT) for early life immune protection. Nat Immunol 24, 1228–1229 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41590-023-01573-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41590-023-01573-3
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