Roadmap for Immunomodulators

What are we trying to achieve and why? What is the problem we are trying to solve?

Establishing the impact of probiotics/prebiotics on the immune response.

Establishing down-regulation of receptors for pathogens in animals.

Establishing what pathways are upregulated in the host when probiotics/bacterial agents/milk compounds are administered.

What are the scientific and technological challenges (knowledge gaps needing to be addressed)?

Microorganisms and TLR signalling
Tolerance of immune response of the host
Study on “functional response of the host” Functional study of microbiota
Identify probiotics/prebiotics that deliver specific required outcomes.
Insight into dosage, storage, and application of probiotics/prebiotics on farm (delivery).
Advantages-disadvantages of host-adapted and broad-spectrum probiotics/prebiotics.
Include antibiotic sensitive bacterial strains similar to those in the gut which are AMR since this generates an exclusion effect and stimulates immunity.
Define mechanisms of interaction between pathogens and host.

What approaches could/should be taken to address the research question?

Standardisation of methods (e.g., delivery method, dosage, animal age) to determine host-response.
Determining factor produced by microorganisms (e.g. butyrate).
Design platforms for monitoring host responses (e.g., PCR, ELISA, OMICs).
Targeted interventions to tune host responses.

What else needs to be done before we can solve this need?

Basic immunology
Functional microbiota studies- microbiome roadmap

Existing knowledge including successes and failures