Researchers have uncovered a critical mechanism that controls immune reactions against microorganisms in the intestine. The results of the international study published in the journal Nature Immunology may contribute to the development of new therapies for chronic inflammatory bowel disease.
The immune system protects against the spread of pathogenic germs in the intestine. At the same time, it allows the colonisation of beneficial microorganisms. Conversely, the composition of the microorganisms in the intestine, the so-called microbiota, has an influence on the quality of the immune reaction. An international research group has uncovered a critical mechanism that establishes the balance between immune system and microbiota.
The researchers studied molecular regulators of immune-microbiome interactions in mice. The team focused on so-called regulatory T cells. These are immune cells that prevent harmless or even useful microorganisms in the intestine from being attacked by the immune system. "We have identified a molecule, c-Maf, which is critical for the development and function of specific regulatory T cells in the gut," explains the author. C-Maf prevents the immune system from attacking the microbiota. c-Maf controlled Treg cell–derived IL-10 production and prevented excessive signaling via the kinases PI(3)K (phosphatidylinositol-3-OH kinase) and Akt and the metabolic checkpoint kinase complex mTORC1 (mammalian target of rapamycin) and expression of inflammatory cytokines in intestinal Treg cells.
"If this molecule is missing, the gut's immune system overreacts and the microbiota composition changes considerably," added first author. This change in composition proved remarkably stable: When the researchers transferred the altered microbiota to mice with intact c-Maf-dependent regulatory T cells, they also developed an overreaction of the intestinal immune system.
"These results show that both the immune system and the microbiota mutually contribute to establishing and maintaining the balance in the gut," emphasizes the author. "This could explain how a microbial imbalance can contribute to chronic inflammatory bowel disease and why the treatment often fails". These findings could lead to new therapeutic approaches that, for example in the case of inflammatory bowel disease, aim to influence and harmonize both immune response and microbiota.
In the future, the team would like to study how an established pathological interaction between intestinal bacteria and the immune system can be destabilized in patients and restored to its original state.
https://www.charite.de/en/service/press_reports/artikel/detail/alles_im_gleichgewicht/
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41590-019-0316-2
How the immune system maintains a healthy gut microbiota
- 1,473 views
- Added
Edited
Latest News
Tumor infiltration of immun…
By newseditor
Posted 28 May
New light-controlled 'off s…
By newseditor
Posted 28 May
Gene function during embryo…
By newseditor
Posted 28 May
Formation of 3D blood vesse…
By newseditor
Posted 27 May
Liver regeneration during c…
By newseditor
Posted 27 May
Other Top Stories
Zebra fish, an animal model to study chronic stress?
Read more
Childhood Brain Function and Memory Skills Shape Each Other
Read more
Electrical nerve stimulation to control hypertension?
Read more
Glutamate plume in migraine
Read more
Dissociating the cell death and axonal outgrowth in neurons
Read more
Protocols
SEMORE: SEgmentation and MO…
By newseditor
Posted 26 May
Spatially resolved lipidomi…
By newseditor
Posted 24 May
Efficient expansion and CRI…
By newseditor
Posted 21 May
Massively parallel in vivo…
By newseditor
Posted 20 May
Breast cancer-on-chip for p…
By newseditor
Posted 16 May
Publications
I Am Curious About Cannabis…
By newseditor
Posted 30 May
Advanced microbiome therape…
By newseditor
Posted 29 May
Hippocampal astrocytes indu…
By newseditor
Posted 29 May
TNIK's emerging role in can…
By newseditor
Posted 29 May
Diabetes drugs activate neu…
By newseditor
Posted 29 May
Presentations
Hydrogels in Drug Delivery
By newseditor
Posted 12 Apr
Lipids
By newseditor
Posted 31 Dec
Cell biology of carbohydrat…
By newseditor
Posted 29 Nov
RNA interference (RNAi)
By newseditor
Posted 23 Oct
RNA structure and functions
By newseditor
Posted 19 Oct
Posters
A chemical biology/modular…
By newseditor
Posted 22 Aug
Single-molecule covalent ma…
By newseditor
Posted 04 Jul
ASCO-2020-HEALTH SERVICES R…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar
ASCO-2020-HEAD AND NECK CANCER
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar
ASCO-2020-GENITOURINARY CAN…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar