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Updated: Jun 30, 2025

In Vivo Photolabeling of Cells in the Colon to Assess Migratory Potential of Hematopoietic Cells in Neonatal Mice
Published on: August 10, 2018
Early life imprinting of intestinal immune tolerance and tissue homeostasis
Yoselin A Paucar Iza1,2, Chrysothemis C Brown1,2,3
1Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis Program, Weill Cornell Medicine Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, New York, USA.
Abstract:
Besides its canonical role in protecting the host from pathogens, the immune system plays an arguably equally important role in maintaining tissue homeostasis. Within barrier tissues that interface with the external microenvironment, induction of immune tolerance to innocuous antigens, such as commensal, dietary, and environmental antigens, is key to establishing immune homeostasis. The early postnatal period represents a critical window of opportunity in which parallel development of the tissue, immune cells, and microbiota allows for reciprocal regulation that shapes the long-term immunological tone of the tissue and subsequent risk of immune-mediated diseases. During early infancy, the immune system appears to sacrifice pro-inflammatory functions, prioritizing the establishment of tissue tolerance. In this review, we discuss mechanisms underlying early life windows for intestinal tolerance with a focus on newly identified RORγt+ antigen-presenting cells-Thetis cells-and highlight the role of the intestinal microenvironment in shaping intestinal immune system development and tolerance.
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