Cytokines regulate immune responses essential for maintaining immune homeostasis, as
deregulated cytokine signaling can lead to detrimental outcomes, including inflammatory …

Although we might shudder at the thought of billions of bacteria living in our lower intestine,
we are colonized by these passengers shortly after birth. However, the relationship is mostly …

The increase of allergic diseases in the industrialized world has often been explained by a
decline in infections during childhood. The immunological explanation has been put into the …

Throughout the twentieth century, there were striking increases in the incidences of many
chronic inflammatory disorders in the rich developed countries. These included autoimmune …

Cytokines have crucial functions in the development, differentiation and regulation of
immune cells. As a result, dysregulation of cytokine production or action is thought to have a …

Childhood leukaemia is the principal subtype of paediatric cancer and, despite success in
treatment, its causes remain enigmatic. A plethora of candidate environmental exposures …

Rising rates of allergic disease accompany the healthier benefits of a contemporary
westernized lifestyle, such as low infant mortality. It is likely that these twinned phenomena …

Background Allergic diseases are frequent and rising in prevalence, and result from
activation of T-helper (Th) 2 cells by allergens. CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells suppress T …

Chronic inflammatory diseases (autoimmunity, allergy and inflammatory bowel diseases)
are increasing in prevalence in urban communities in high-income countries. One important …

Two distinct, but rapidly converging, areas of research (the hygiene hypothesis and the
study of probiotic/prebiotic effects) have emphasised the need to understand, and ultimately …