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We have been told for years that treating our intestinal bacteria is essential to our health. Now researchers have shed light on how friendly microbes in our guts behave in research that might one day help treat digestive diseases.
The good bacteria in our stomach are part of our microbiota: the name of the microbes that populate the human body. In fact, microbes in and on our bodies outnumber our own cells by 10 to 1.
Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine wanted to know how the microbiota helps to reduce inflammation in the body. intestine by working with the cells of the immune system. 19659002] Exploiting this response to the threats could therefore be the basis of treatments for diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, according to the authors of the study, published in the journal Immunity.
A generic term referring to conditions characterized by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract related to overzealous immune responses, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn's disease. Inflammatory bowel disease according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Dr. Gretchen Diehl, author of the study and badistant professor of molecular virology and microbiology co-director of the Center for Biology of Inflammation at Baylor College of Medicine, said in a statement: "Significant work is currently indicating that the Microbiota Shapes the Immune System "
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" Pathogenic microbes, such as salmonella, evoke a strong inflammatory immune response However, an inflammatory immune response, particularly in the intestine, can be damaging to healthy tissue.We have defined the role of the microbiota in modulating the immune response so as to reduce inflammation and limit the damage that it can cause. made in the intestine. "
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When the immune system of the intestine is working properly, cells called antigens- Presenting cells induce T cells to trigger an inflammatory response to fight unwanted microbes.At the same time, antigen-presenting cells direct anti-inflammatory regulatory T cells to control the response to desired visitors in the body. gut like food
The microbiota plays an important role in this process by telling antigen presenting cells to release the cytokine IL-10 anti-inflammatory molecule, which balances the response of both types of T cells.
As a result, the intestine can fight against infections such as salmonella, but in a way that prevents damage to healthy tissue in the intestine, said Professor Diehl. To find out more, the researchers gave antibiotics to laboratory animals to eliminate their intestinal bacteria and discovered that antigen-presenting cells did not produce IL-10
but their digestive system repopulated with bacteria found only bacteria adhering to the epithelium. Stomach cells – which provide a first line of defense against harmful bacteria and viruses – have triggered the production of the inflammatory molecule IL-10
"It's a little paradoxical because microbes who attach to the intestinal epithelium are considered pathogens. "But in this case, we found that the attachment of bacteria to the epithelium did not cause disease, on the control It was necessary to promote a balanced regulation of T-cell responses and helped to protect the intestine. "
While the findings are illuminating, the authors acknowledged that their research is in its infancy. Further research is needed to determine how microbes can be harnessed to create a balanced environment in the digestive system, and to replicate their discoveries in humans.
Professor Diehl said: "A message to remember is that a healthy microbiota is needed to allow a balanced response not only to protect us from infection, but also to limit potential tissue damage when the immune system is trying to eliminate pathogens. "
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