Journal of Vaccines & Vaccination

Myeloid derived suppressor cells and their role in infant responses to vaccines

10^th Euro Global Summit and Expo on Vaccines & Vaccination

June 16-18, 2016 Rome, Italy

Ana Gervassi

Center for Infectious Diseases Research, USA

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Vaccines Vaccin

Abstract:

Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells (MDSC) have been extensively studied and strongly implicated in cancer progression and chronic inflammation. MDSC are a heterogenous collection of immature myeloid cells with suppressive T cell and NK cell activity. Their frequencies are elevated in most cancers and chronic viral infections and their numbers correlate with disease stage. We and others have shown that MDSC are also elevated at birth and remain elevated during the first weeks of life, a time when infants are known to be vulnerable to infections and do not respond optimally to vaccines. Infant MDSC potently suppress T cell and NK cell responses in vitro, however the role they may play in vivo is unknown. Here we describe data from a longitudinal study looking at the effect of MDSC play on vaccine responses. One hundred newborns were recruited at birth and followed for 1 year in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, South Africa. Responses to BCG, Hepatitis B and Tetanus Toxoid were measured at various time points and correlated to the frequency of MDSC at the time of vaccine administration. The role MDSC may play in modulating responses to vaccines and their manipulation at birth by the use of specific vaccine vectors/adjuvants may result in more efficacious infant immunity. A better understanding of the underlying immune mechanisms behind inadequate infant responses to infections or vaccines is a major goal of neonatal immunology and necessary to inform effective vaccination prior to pathogen exposure.

Biography :

Email: ana.gervassi@cidresearch.org