The Potential Role of Nonhuman Primate Models to Better Comprehend Early Life Immunity and Maternal Antibody Transfer

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Julie Sartoretti, University of Geneva; Christiane S Eberhardt, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2021-04-01
• Publisher: MDPI AG
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2021 by the authors.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/vaccines9040306
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Vaccines
• Volume: 9
• Issue: 4
• Grant/Funding Information: This research received no external funding.
• Keywords: early human life immunity; vaccinology; nonhuman primate model
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Immunology; Health Sciences, Pathology

Abstract

Early life immunity is a complex field of research and there are still gaps in knowledge regarding the detailed mechanism of maternal antibody transfer, the impact of maternal antibodies on infant vaccine responses and the ontogeny of human early life immunity. A comprehensive understanding is necessary to identify requirements for early life vaccines and to improve early childhood immunization. New immunological methods have facilitated performing research in the youngest, however, some questions can only be addressed in animal models. To date, mostly murine models are used to study neonatal and infant immunity since they are well-described, easy to use and cost effective. Given their limitations especially in the transfer biology of maternal antibodies and the lack of infectivity of numerous human pathogens, this opinion piece discusses the potential and prerequisites of the nonhuman primate model in studying early life immunity and maternal antibody transfer.