Infants often get disease due to not so well developed immune systems, but researchers says that it is possible to activate the crucial cells that can help combat the disease.
Scientists of the University of Michigan Health System suggest that the natural ability to fight infection is there early on - but key cell signals stops the growth of essential immune cells early in life, says a report published in the Daily Mail.
Blocking this signalling could result in improvement of an infant's response to infection, says a study published in Nature Immunity.
Yasmina Laouar who is also author of the study says: "What happens at early age is that natural killer cells, like many other immune cells, do not complete their functional maturation until adulthood."
"During this time we are left with an immature immune system that cannot protect us against infections, the reason why newborns and infants are more prone to infection."
In general there is not much knowledge on understanding infant immunity, specifically why the natural killer cell responses are deficient, say the researchers.
--with inputs from IANS
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