Wichtige Darmbakterien erwiesen sich als entscheidend für den Aufbau der Immunabwehr bei Säuglingen. Bestimmte Probiotika sind in der Lage, diesen Prozess auch während einer Antibiotikabehandlung aufrechtzuerhalten, was auf neue Strategien zum Schutz der Gesundheit von Kindern hinweist

> The study found that antibiotic use in early life can reduce the number of healthy gut bacteria required to support immune system development. However, administering probiotics to replace healthy gut bacteria during antibiotic treatment can preserve long-term immunity—protecting against respiratory diseases such as pneumonia.

> The study, published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine on December 16, 2025, uncovers how gut bacteria help develop and train key immune cells during a specific window of infancy. Known as mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells, they reside in barrier tissues—such as the lungs, skin and gut—where the body frequently encounters germs. Critically, the researchers found that administering a specific probiotic during antibiotic treatment could preserve healthy MAIT cell development.

[Antibiotic use in early life impairs MAIT cell–mediated immunity in adulthood | Journal of Experimental Medicine | Rockefeller University Press](https://rupress.org/jem/article-abstract/223/3/e20241287/278578/Antibiotic-use-in-early-life-impairs-MAIT-cell?redirectedFrom=fulltext)