New study offers hope for babies with RSV

Dr Claire Smith

Every year, thousands of babies are hospitalised with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a common but potentially serious infection that can make it difficult for young children to breathe. Now, a new study has uncovered important clues about why RSV can be so severe in babies, bringing hope for better treatments in the future.

A groundbreaking study funded by Animal Free Research UK and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has revealed new insights into why respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) can cause such severe illness in babies, offering hope for better treatments in the future.

Dr Claire Smith and Dr Machaela Palor, at UCL and Great Ormond Street Hospital, developed an innovative human-based model of the infant lung using real human cells. The model enabled them to observe how babies’ airways respond to RSV and showed that the infant immune response can play a significant role in driving severe disease.

The team also tested potential antiviral treatments and found that while some drugs could stop the virus replicating, others may have the added benefit of calming the harmful inflammation that contributes to serious illness in young children.

Dr Machaela Palor

This exciting research builds on Animal Free Research UK’s investment in Dr Smith’s pioneering work to develop a 3D model of the infant lung, demonstrating the power of human-specific research to deliver discoveries that could directly benefit patients while replacing animal experiments.

A message from our CEO, Carla Owen:

“Dr Smith and Dr Palor’s groundbreaking study shows the power of human-specific research to make breakthroughs for patients. Their sophisticated human model brings hope to families without using animals. This is science at is best. We are proud to have funded this innovative work, and we look forward to seeing the impact this will have on improving treatment for babies affected by RSV.”

Find out more about Claire and Machaela’s project here.