A new unexpected twist in newborn immunity

What causes the often poor responses of the newborn immune system to pathogens and vaccines remains a mystery and poses a challenge in the clinic for tackling infections in infants. A new study by Elahi et al describes an enriched population of nonimmune cells in neonates that exert an immunosuppressive role to reduce the excessive inflammation that would otherwise occur upon commensal colonization after birth. The result of this developmental process is an increased susceptibility to pathogens and reduced immune protection.