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Host response: Mice and humans in the bubble

Mice raised under specific pathogen-free conditions in a lab do not model the natural exposure of animals and humans to environmental commensals and pathogens. Now, two studies show that exposing mice to their natural environment, or infecting them with specific pathogens, results in an immune system that better resembles that of adult humans.

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Figure 1: Environmental exposure shapes the immune system.

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Correspondence to Federica Sallusto.

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Sallusto, F. Host response: Mice and humans in the bubble. Nat Microbiol 1, 16105 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmicrobiol.2016.105

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nmicrobiol.2016.105

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