Project Details

Identifying biomarkers of severe respiratory syncytial virus disease in preterm infants

Jeremy Anderson, PhD

Summary

BACKGROUND: Severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) disease leads to 6.6 million infections and 13,300 in-hospital deaths each year in infants aged 0-6 months, mostly in low-middle income countries. Infants born prematurely are twice as likely to develop severe RSV disease, which is hypothesised to be associated with their immature immune systems. GAP: There have been no in-depth studies comparing the immune response to RSV in preterm and term infants in a clinical setting. These studies are required to inform the development of new vaccines and treatments. HYPOTHESIS: Preterm infants hospitalised with severe RSV disease will exhibit a reduced anti-viral innate and adaptive response compared to term infants. METHODS: Peripheral blood will be taken from RSV hospitalised preterm (n=30) and term infants (n=60) <2 years of age at admission. Cytokine and neutralising antibody assays will be performed on plasma, while high-dimensional flow cytometry and bulk RNA-sequencing will be performed on peripheral blood mononuclear cells. RESULTS: Pending. IMPACT: Identifying factors that contribute to preterm infants’ enhanced susceptibility to severe RSV disease will inform the design of future therapeutic strategies to reduce the burden of disease in this high-risk demographic. Website Link: https://www.mcri.edu.au/research/research-areas/infection-immunity-and-global-health/vaccine-immunology