Immunological reconstruction of neonate immunity by breast milk of maternal immunization

• Project/Area Number: 15K10758
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Otorhinolaryngology
• Research Institution: Wakayama Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Muneki Hotomi 和歌山県立医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (90336892)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 湯浅 純 和歌山県立医科大学, 医学部, 学内助教 (10725550) ; 池田 頼彦 和歌山県立医科大学, 医学部, 講師 (20423949) ; 平岡 政信 和歌山県立医科大学, 医学部, その他 (80423945)
• Research Collaborator: KONO Masamitsu 和歌山県立医科大学, 医学部, 助教 (20511570) ; SUGITA Gen 和歌山県立医科大学, 医学部, 助教 (20407274)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2017)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,550,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,050,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000); Fiscal Year 2016: ¥1,560,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥360,000); Fiscal Year 2015: ¥1,690,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000)
• Keywords: 母体免疫 / 肺炎球菌 / 母乳栄養 / 免疫学的記憶

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We investigated infantile immune system by breast milk feeding after maternal nasal immunization using pneumococcal surface protein antigen PspA. Anti-PspA specific IgG in sera was high in pups born from maternal nasal immunized mother mice. In addition, in pups who received breast-feeding by immunized mother, reactivation of anti-PspA specific IgG was recognized by PspA stimulation even at the age of 6 weeks of age. These results revealed that immune responses in maternal immunity were transferred to neonatal mice via breast milk and immunological memory was induced in their pups. In maternal immunization, not only placental transfer of specific antibody but breast milk feeding also play the important role in the supplemented immature immunity at neonatal period.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Panel 5: Immunology (2017)
  • Author(s): Kyd JM, Hotomi M, Kono M, Kurabi A, Pichichero M, Ryan A, Swords WE, Thornton R
  • Journal Title: Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg Volume: 156(4 suppl) Issue: S4
  • DOI: 10.1177/0194599816663886
  • Int'l Joint Research