Unique nasal microbiome

Study shows individual differences in the immune response of the nose. Researchers at the University of Tübingen provide new insights into the specific antibody response of endogenous immunoglobulin A. The results help to better understand the body's immune response.

A recent study published in the journal Microbiome sheds new light on the complex interplay between the human immune system and the microorganisms that colonize our nose. Local immune responses in the nose are very likely a critical factor in infections caused by respiratory pathogens. Nevertheless, this part of the immune system has remained largely unexplored. The study focused on the endogenous antibody secretory immunoglobulin A, or sIgA for short. Crucial to the body’s immune response because it is actively involved in neutralizing pathogens, sIgA is abundant in our nasal secretions, saliva, sweat, intestinal fluid, tears and breast milk.

We are beginning to understand the processes in our microbiomes better and better. — Rob van Dalen

One of the study’s focal points was to observe how sIgA and the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus interact. S. aureus is a bacterium that occurs naturally in the nose of many people and is initially harmless, but can develop into a pathogenic variant and cause infections. In particular, the reaction of the antibiotic-resistant variant MRSA, which is known as a superbug and feared for causing dangerous and difficult-to-treat infections, was a specific focus of the study. Interestingly, sIgA appears to have a specific interaction with a protein called SpA, which sits on the surface of S. aureus. This suggests potential new therapeutic approaches in which this interaction could potentially be manipulated to enhance the immune response or more effectively neutralize the pathogenic bacterium.

“We are beginning to understand the processes in our microbiomes better and better. The interactions of the antibody sIgA with the nasal microbiome give us a powerful demonstration of how these microbial systems regulate themselves – and could be regulated. We have huge potential here for future treatments,” says Rob van Dalen, a postdoctoral researcher in the Cluster of Excellence CMFI and first author of the study.