Neonatal sensitivity to respiratory viruses: how can we protect young animals against infections?
During the first months of life, acute lower respiratory tract infections are the major cause of morbidity and mortality among young mammals. The respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the main causative agent for broncho-pneumonia in calves (bovine RSV) and bronchiolitis in infants (human RSV). These viral infections have the particularity to cause severe acute lower respiratory disease in young animals whereas they are usually benign in adults, affecting only the upper respiratory tract. Thus, RSV infections are major health issues both for infants and calves. The neonatal period is characterized by immune responses quantitatively and qualitatively different from the adults one, issues that I have chosen to address through the following ongoing projects :
(a) To decipher the immunological and inflammatory mechanisms at stake in the lung upon respiratory infection of newborn.
(b) To elaborate new vaccine strategies against RSV using subunit vaccines: ring nanoparticles formed by the recombinant viral nucleoprotein and the pre-fusion form of the RSV fusion protein.