Probiotic-conditioned microbiota from preterm infants modulate immune response to pathogen challenge in a microbiota-humanized mouse model
challenge at day 5, pups harboring probiotic-conditioned microbiota displayed reduced growth and impaired bacterial clearance, correlating with diminished numbers of key innate immune cell populations. These findings demonstrate that probiotic-driven shifts in human-derived microbial communities can attenuate immune cell development in mice and alter early-life infection outcomes. Our study underscores the complex, context-dependent effects of probiotics on the neonatal microbiota-immune axis and provides mechanistic insight into how interventions in preterm infants may influence susceptibility to infection.
Authors
- Natalia Torow (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3013-8724)
- Jochen Huehn (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8071-1379)
- Mangge Zou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6363-4260)
- D Viemann
- Justine Smout (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9261-8083)
- Lisa Hoenicke (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0613-8337)
- Maike Willers (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8190-273X)
- Till-Robin Lesker
- Diego Ortiz
- Friederike Kruse (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8422-6474)
- C S Falk
- Christoph Härtel
- Sabine Pirr
- Till Strowig
Institutions
- University of Würzburg (DE)
- Medizinische Hochschule Hannover (DE)
- Biology of Infection (FR)
- German Center for Infection Research (DE)
- Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (DE)
- Universitätsklinikum Würzburg (DE)
- Centre for Individualised Infection Medicine (DE)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Frontiers in Immunology
- Published
- 2026-04-20
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2026.1761680
- Primary Topic
- Gut microbiota and health
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft