Immune Response: Why Do Some Kids Get Sick and Others Don't?

Embark on a journey through the body's defense mechanisms and discover the lesser-known inborn errors of immunity. In this session, you will learn how these inherent flaws can compromise our defenses, leading to infections and a dysregulated immune response. Also, many of the bacterial pathogens that cause serious infectious disease are food or waterborne — entering their hosts via the oral route and targeting the gastrointestinal tract. Unlike infections at other sites in the body, defense against an intestinal infection not only reflects the host's genetics, but also the genes of the resident microbiota. Learn how our intestines are designed to limit our inflammatory responses to resident gut microbes. We also discuss the highly effective mechanisms by which specific members of our resident gut microbiota can prevent invading pathogens from infecting the intestine, or cause disease. Presented by Dr. Catherine Biggs, Investigator & Pediatric Allergist/Clinical Immunologist, BC Children's Hospital; Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, UBC. | Dr. Bruce Vallance, Investigator, BC Children's Hospital; Professor, Department of Pediatrics, UBC. (2023)