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Current understanding of fungal microflora in inflammatory bowel disease pathogenesis

David Underhill1, Jonathan Braun

  • 1Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA.

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
|February 21, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are a growing public health concern. This review explores the role of enteric fungi, beyond bacteria, in IBD susceptibility and disease development.

Area of Science:

  • Gastroenterology
  • Immunology
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) represent a significant and increasing global health burden.
  • Current research primarily investigates the role of gut bacteria in IBD pathogenesis.
  • The potential contribution of the gut mycobiome to IBD remains underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the current understanding of enteric fungi in the context of inflammatory bowel diseases.
  • To explore the mechanisms by which fungal dysbiosis may influence IBD susceptibility.
  • To highlight the importance of considering fungi in IBD research.

Main Methods:

  • Comprehensive literature review of studies on enteric fungi and IBD.
  • Analysis of proposed mechanisms linking fungal dysregulation to bowel inflammation.
  • Synthesis of existing knowledge on the gut mycobiome and IBD.

Main Results:

  • Enteric fungi are a component of the gut microbiome and their composition can be altered in IBD patients.
  • Fungal dysbiosis may contribute to IBD through various mechanisms, including immune system modulation and barrier function disruption.
  • Specific fungal species and their metabolites have been implicated in promoting or exacerbating inflammation.

Conclusions:

  • Enteric fungi, in addition to bacteria, are likely involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases.
  • Fungal dysregulation represents a potential therapeutic target for IBD.
  • Further research is warranted to elucidate the precise roles of specific fungi in IBD.

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