Scientists discover how gut bacteria “train” the intestine to fight inflammation
New research from Northwestern Medicine indicates that gut bacteria can train the intestinal lining to maintain immune tolerance through the fermentation of dietary fiber. This process creates a lasting molecular imprint that helps protect against inflammatory conditions like colitis even after the initial exposure to metabolites ends.
Why it matters
This discovery offers potential new pathways for treating inflammatory bowel diseases by leveraging the body's natural microbiome-immune system interactions.
New Northwestern Medicine research published in Nature Communications suggests that a substance produced when gut bacteria digest dietary fiber may leave a durable molecular mark on cells lining the intestine. That imprint appears to promote immune tolerance and may help protect against inflammatory bowel disease-like conditions even after exposure to the metabolite has ended.
Yingzi Cong, PhD, the Stanley Gradowski Professor of Gastroenterology and a professor of Microbiology-Immunology and of Pathology, was senior and co-corresponding author of the study.
The researchers say the results support the idea that beneficial compounds made by gut microbes can effectively "train" the intestinal lining, helping it preserve immune tolerance over time.
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