Development of immune organs and functioning in humans and test animals: Implications for immune intervention studies

Natural killer cell activity irreversibly decreases after Cryptosporidium gastroenteritis in neonatal mice

“…Our data on the dynamics of the ontogenetic spleen cellularity and spleen mass in mice suggest that critical window for spleen development and for innate immune effector activity corresponds to the weaning period in rodents. This result is in good agreement with the data on spleen developmental dynamics in mice and other mammals provided by Kuper and co‐authors …”

“…Kuper and co-authors. 45 The long-term impairment of NK activity may enhance animals' vulnerability to cancer as NK activity controls cell transformation and differentiation. Recent data obtained with immunodeficient mice revealed dramatic acceleration of Cryptosporidium oocyst shedding and neoplastic processes in mice digestive system when C. parvum infection was combined with dexamethasone administration.…”

The mother–offspring dyad: microbial transmission, immune interactions and allergy development

“…Furthermore, maternal antibiotic use during pregnancy has been associated with an increased risk of development of allergic disease and asthma in childhood (Table ). Speculatively, more pronounced effects of prenatal microbial exposures on adaptive immune responses in humans as compared with mice may be envisioned, as the immune system matures at a faster rate in humans than in rodents prior to birth . Thus, whereas mature T cells can be detected in human foetal peripheral tissues as early as 10–12 weeks of gestation and circulate in significant numbers by the end of the second trimester , they do not fully populate the periphery in mice until after birth .…”

Pre‐ and Postnatal Lung Development: An Updated Species Comparison

“…Postnatally, NALT and BALT were observed in PND 7 rats and appeared mature by PND 35. Mice seem to develop similarly (reviewed in Kuper et al, ).…”

“…Maturation of immune competence, including reaction in close proximity to the lung, occurs in humans from birth to 1 year of age and in the mouse and rat from birth to PND 3. But it has to be kept in mind that establishing immune memory takes much longer: in humans up to 18 years, in the minipig up to 5 to 6 months and in the mouse/rat up to PND 60 (reviewed in Kuper et al, ). Three different lymphoid tissue subtypes are closely related to the immune‐reactivity of the respiratory tract: mucosa‐associated lymphoid tissues, bronchus‐associated lymphoid tissues (BALT), and nasal‐associated lymphoid tissue (NALT).…”