Expanding the role of the virome: commensalism in the gut
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Updated: Apr 19, 2026

Author Spotlight: Investigating Bacteriophage-Induced Immune Responses in Gnotobiotic Mice
Published on: January 26, 2024
1Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine at the Skirball Institute, Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA ken.cadwell@med.nyu.edu.
Abstract:
Viruses affect host physiology beyond causing acute disease, thereby giving rise to the concept that the virome is a component of the microbiome. However, the role of the enteric virome is understudied relative to the fast-paced research examining commensal bacteria in the intestine. In this article, I discuss our recent work on murine norovirus indicating that an animal virus in the intestine can provide many of the signals to the host that have been attributed to commensal bacteria. Our findings suggest that the surge in microbiome research should incorporate examination of the enteric virome.
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