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Updated: Jun 13, 2025

An Intestinal Gut Organ Culture System for Analyzing Host-Microbiota Interactions
Published on: June 30, 2021
Regulation of immune responses to food by commensal microbes
Samuel H Light1, Cathryn R Nagler2,3
1Biological Sciences Division, Department of Microbiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Abstract:
The increasing prevalence of immune-mediated non-communicable chronic diseases, such as food allergies, has prompted a deeper investigation into the role of the gut microbiome in modulating immune responses. Here, we explore the complex interactions between commensal microbes and the host immune system, highlighting the critical role of gut bacteria in maintaining immune homeostasis. We examine how modern lifestyle practices and environmental factors have disrupted co-evolved host-microbe interactions and discuss how changes in microbiome composition impact epithelial barrier function, responses to food allergens, and susceptibility to allergic diseases. Finally, we examine the potential of bioengineered microbiome-based therapies, and live biotherapeutic products, for reestablishing immune homeostasis to prevent or treat food allergies.
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