Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 3, 2026

Co-culture of Living Microbiome with Microengineered Human Intestinal Villi in a Gut-on-a-Chip Microfluidic Device
Published on: August 30, 2016
Role of the intestinal microbiome in autoimmune diseases and its use in treatments
Eric Marietta1, Irina Horwath1, Baskar Balakrishnan1
1Department of Immunology and Rheumatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Abstract:
The role of the intestinal microbiome in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and type 1 diabetes is being increasingly appreciated. Many studies have reported that the compositions of the intestinal microbiomes of patients with these autoimmune diseases are different from those of healthy individuals. Analyses of the intestinal microbiome of humans suggest that various factors affect the composition of the intestinal microbiome, including, but not limited to: geographical location, diet, sex, and age. However, patients with rheumatoid arthritis and type 1 diabetes show unique intestinal microbiome profile even after considering these confounding factors. This review will describe the known differences in the microbial composition for each of the aforementioned autoimmune diseases, how it impacts the immune system, and how these compositions may potentially be modulated by treatments with probiotics, prebiotics, and other microbiome altering therapies.
Related Concept Videos
Parkinson's Disease: Treatment
Parkinson's Disease is primarily a result of the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. The cornerstone of...
Alzheimer's Disease: Treatment
Role Of Notch Signalling In Intestinal Stem Cell Renewal
Direct cell-to-cell contact is needed for the activation of Notch signaling. The signal is initiated when a notch ligand binds to a receptor on an adjacent cell, also...
Role of Ephrin-Eph Signalling in Intestinal Stem Cell Renewal
Anatomy of the Intestines
Small Intestines
The small intestine is an ~7 meter-long tube with an inner diameter of just 2.5 cm. Since most nutrients are absorbed here, the inner lining of the...
Drugs for Treatment of Crohn's Disease in IBD Using Glucocorticoids

