Farm Effect

Vier Kinder springen von vier Heuballen in die Höhe

Un bambino con cappellino si occupa delle vacche giocando con loro e portandogli il fieno nelle mangiatoie

Numerous epidemiological studies have shown that children who grow up on traditional farms are protected from asthma, hay fever and allergic sensitization (Pechlivanis & von Mutius, Acta Med Acad 2020). Early-life contact with livestock, particularly exposure to cow sheds, as well as the consumption of unprocessed cow’s milk have been identified as the most effective protective exposures.

The leitmotiv of all these studies is an interaction of the human immune system with microbial exposure. Recently we have seen that the farm environment fosters the maturation of the intestinal microbiome, which again protects from the development of asthma (Depner et al, Nature Medicine 2020). We estimated a microbiome age (EMA) based on compositional changes in the gut microbiome. EMA mediated the asthma-protective effect of farm exposure by about 20%. By the end of the first year of life, the maturational process resulted in an abundance of fermenting bacteria, which produce beneficial short chain fatty acids such as butyrate and propionate.

young boy using an asthma inhaler outdoors

Already at 2 months of life, however, a healthy gut microbiome exerts protective effects on asthma. Likewise, a distinct composition of different species and strains within the genus Bifidobacterium protects from persistent rash and atopic eczema, a known asthma comorbidity. While the typical Bifidobacterium composition at 2 months is inversely related to atopic eczema and persistent rash, the typical composition at 12 months is not and may even create a risk for late-onset rash (Depner et al, PAI 2025). This demonstrates that successful prevention strategies with Bifidobacterium as a probiotic must consider the relevant window of opportunity and the adequate subgenus composition.

Currently we are investigating deeper into the mechanisms behind the protective farm effect. We aim to answer the following research questions:

What is the role of environmental bacteria in asthma protection?
Are there any other microorganisms involved in the protective effect?
Which bacterial metabolites are involved in the protective effect of the gut microbiome?
How does microbial exposure on a farm affect the human immune system?
Does the farm exposure operate through epigenetic modifications?

Helmholtz Munich

Milch & Allergieprävention bei Kleinkindern

Lung Foundation Netherlands

Diana Taft, Microbiome Research Working Group

Rob Knight, Center for Microbiome Innovation

Caroline Roduit, Kinderklinik

A dynamic web of entities and people working together to foster and advance new ideas, technologies, and solutions.

Anne Karvonen, Indoor Microbiome Research

Amandine Divaret-Chauveau, DevAH (Développement, Adaptation, Handicap)

Prof. Dr. Markus Ege

MA MPH, Group Leader, IAP

Dr. rer. biol. hum. Martin Depner

Biostatistician, IAP

Porträt freigestellt - Website - verknüpft mit Originalbild

Dr. Giulia Pagani

Bioinformatician, IAP

Birgit Langer

Data Manager, IAP

Elisabeth Schmaußer-Hechfellner

Data Manager, IAP

Pagani, G. ; Loss, G. ; Pechlivanis, S. ; Depner, M. ; Müller, C. ; Ru, J. ; Strunz-Lehner, C. ; Humphrey, G. ; Ackermann, G. ; Amir, A. ; Melnik, A. ; Garg, N. ; Knight, R. ; Dorrestein, P.C. ; Schmitt-Kopplin, P. ; Deng, L. ; Schloter, M. ; Divaret-Chauveau, A. ; Roduit, C. ; Karvonen, A.M. ; Genuneit, J. ; von Mutius, E. ; Ege, M.J.

Gram-positive bacteria and the inverse association between farm exposure and childhood asthma.

Lagally, L. ; Ullemeyer, L. ; Omony, J. ; Laubhahn, K. ; Foppiano, F. ; Abdo, M. ; Veith, V. ; Thölken, C. ; Hose, A. ; Maison, N. ; Grychtol, R. ; Dittrich, A. ; Riemann, L. ; Weckmann, M. ; König, I.R. ; Kronziel, L.L. ; Illi, S. ; Koningsbruggen‐Rietschel, S.v. ; Rabe, K.F. ; Renz, H. ; Hansen, G. ; Brinkmann, F. ; Kopp, M. ; von Mutius, E. ; Bahmer, T. ; Ege, M.J. ; Skevaki, C. ; Schaub, B.

Increased high sensitivity C-reactive protein in more severe wheeze/asthma phenotypes in child- and adulthood in ALLIANCE.

Grote, V. ; Schlosser, L. ; Campoy, C. ; Crehuá‐Gaudiza, E. ; Demmelmair, H. ; Ege, M.J. ; Escribano, J. ; Galera-Martínez, R. ; García-Santos, J.A. ; Gruszfeld, D. ; Guerlich, K. ; Guillén-Sebastián, C. ; Handel, U. ; Jamka, M. ; Jarocka‐Cyrta, E. ; Książyk, J. ; Mazur, A. ; Parada, E. ; Robredo-García, I. ; Rodrı́guez, G. ; Romańczuk, B. ; Pipaon, M.S.d. ; Tejón-Fernández, M. ; Walkowiak, J. ; Weichselbaum, E. ; Witte, A. ; Koletzko, B.

Whole goat milk versus cow milk formula and atopic dermatitis in infants: A randomized clinical trial.

Maier, L. ; Sun, Y. ; Kronberg, J. ; Abner, E. ; Coley, K. ; Marenholz, I. ; Weiss, S. ; Foraita, R. ; Karramass, T. ; Mykkänen, J. ; Hernandez-Pacheco, N. ; Wang, C.A. ; Kitaba, N.T. ; Pechlivanis, S. ; Bouzigon, E. ; Tingskov Pedersen, C.E. ; Schoos, A.M. ; Curtin, J. ; Kress, S. ; Hernangomez-Laderas, A. ; Foppiano, F. ; Ashley, S. ; Batini, C. ; Bryant, L. ; Homuth, G. ; Gieger, C. ; Gilles, S. ; Lyytikäinen, L.P. ; Rovio, S. ; Pahkala, K. ; Vernet, R. ; Valenta, R. ; Llop, S. ; Torrent, M. ; Böck, A. ; Tang, M.L.K. ; Schmidt-Weber, C.B. ; Metspalu, A. ; Esko, T. ; Sprikkelman, A.B. ; John, C. ; Lee, Y.A. ; Beyer, K. ; Völzke, H. ; Pigeot, I. ; Traidl-Hoffmann, C. ; Duijts, L. ; Lu, H. ; Raitakari, O.T. ; Lehtimäki, T. ; Kähönen, M. ; Tio, C.H.L. ; Melén, E. ; Pennell, C.E. ; Holloway, J.W. ; von Mutius, E. ; Siroux, V. ; Bønnelykke, K. ; Custovic, A. ; Simpson, A. ; Schikowski, T. ; Bilbao, J.R. ; Schaub, B. ; Peters, R. ; Kersten, E.T.G. ; Vonk, J.M. ; Thiering, E. ; Peters, A. ; Koppelman, G.H. ; Standl, M.

Meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies of food allergy and IgE-sensitization.

Ege, M.J.

Neighborhoods - opportunity or harm?

Skevaki, C. ; Tafo, P. ; Bahmer, T. ; Abdo, M. ; Watz, H. ; Pedersen, F. ; Herzmann, C. ; Rabe, K.F. ; Renz, H. ; Nockher, W.A. ; ALLIANCE Study Group as part of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL) (Ege, M.J.) ; ALLIANCE Study Group as part of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL) (Illi, S.) ; ALLIANCE Study Group as part of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL) (Jakwerth, C.A.) ; ALLIANCE Study Group as part of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL) (Maison, N.) ; ALLIANCE Study Group as part of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL) (Omony, J.) ; ALLIANCE Study Group as part of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL) (Schmidt-Weber, C.B.) ; ALLIANCE Study Group as part of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL) (von Mutius, E.) ; ALLIANCE Study Group as part of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL) (Zissler, U.M.)

Differential expression of eicosanoid pathways after whole blood stimulation in asthma patients.

Depner, M. ; Taft, D.H. ; Peschel, S. ; Roduit, C. ; Karvonen, A.M. ; Barnig, C. ; Divaret-Chauveau, A. ; Riedler, J. ; Pekkanen, J. ; Schmaußer-Hechfellner, E. ; Pagani, G. ; Lauener, R. ; Roponen, M. ; Renz, H. ; Pfefferle, P.I. ; Schaub, B. ; von Mutius, E. ; Kirjavainen, P.V. ; Ege, M.J.

The Janus face of Bifidobacterium in the development of atopic eczema: A role for compositional maturation.

Grigg, J. ; Barratt, B.J. ; Bønnelykke, K. ; Custovic, A. ; Ege, M.J. ; Pasquali, C. ; Palomares, O. ; Shaheen, S. ; Sokolowska, M. ; Vercelli, D. ; Maizels, R. ; von Mutius, E.

European respiratory society research seminar on preventing pediatric asthma.

The Farm Effect – Protection by microbial exposure

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