Understanding immune–microbiota interactions in the intestine. Issue 1 (27th November 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ahern, Philip P.; Maloy, Kevin J.
• Is Part Of: Immunology. Volume 159:Issue 1(2020)
• Page Start: 4
• Page End: 14
• Publication Date: 2019-11-27
• Subjects: microbiota -- immune homeostasis -- mucosal immunology -- microbiome -- tolerance; Immunology -- Periodicals
• DOI: 10.1111/imm.13150
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0019-2805

Abstract

Summary: The past two decades have seen an explosion in research that aims to understand how the dynamic interplay with the gut microbiota impacts host health and disease, establishing a role for the gut microbiota in a plethora of pathologies. Understanding how health‐promoting microbiota are established and how beneficial host–microbiota interactions are maintained is of immense biomedical importance. Despite the enormous progress that has been made, our knowledge of the specific microbiota members that mediate these effects and the mechanisms underlying these interactions is rudimentary. The dearth of information regarding the nature of advantageous host–microbiota interactions, and the factors that cause these relationships to go awry, has hampered our ability to realize the therapeutic potential of the microbiota. Here we discuss key issues that limit current knowledge and describe a path forwards to improving our understanding of the contributions of the microbiota to host health. Abstract : The gut microbiota is a critical regulator of host immune function, and profoundly impacts host health and disease. However, our understanding of the specific microbiota members that mediate these effects, and the mechanisms that underlie these interactions, is rudimentary, in large part due to technical difficulties associated with study of the microbiota. Strategies that help overcome these challenges, allied to the development of model systems that more accurately reflect host–microbiota interactions in humans, will advance our understanding of how this dialogue shapes host health and will pave the way for the development of microbiota‐based therapeutics.