The scientists reared mice that lacked any microbiome. In their guts and
lungs, the germ-free mice developed abnormally high levels of immune
cells called invariant natural killer T cells. Normally, these cells
trigger a swift response from the immune system against viruses and
other pathogens. In Dr. Blumberg’s microbe-free mice, however, they
caused harmful inflammation. As adults, the mice were more likely to
suffer from asthma and inflammatory bowel disease.
This experiment parallels studies of children in recent years. Children who take high levels of antibiotics may be at greater risk of developing allergies and asthma later on, many researchers have suggested.
No comments:
Post a Comment