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Chronic Salmonella Infection Induced Intestinal Fibrosis
Published on: September 22, 2019
From signals to systems: the epigenetic-microbiome-mitochondrial axis in IBD pathogenesis
Nesa Kazemifard1, Shabnam Shahrokh1, Georges Dimitrov2,3
1Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases (RIGLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Gut Microbes
|July 17, 2026
Summary
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) involves complex interactions between genetics, environment, and the gut microbiome. Understanding the microbiome-epigenome-mitochondrial axis offers new precision strategies for IBD treatment.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology and Immunology
- Microbiome Research
- Epigenetics
Background:
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is increasingly viewed as a systems-level condition.
- It arises from interactions among host genetics, environment, gut microbiome, and epigenetics.
- Epigenetic mechanisms integrate environmental and microbial signals into immune and tissue repair pathways.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize emerging insights into the microbiome-epigenome-mitochondrial axis in IBD.
- To propose a conceptual framework for understanding IBD pathogenesis.
- To discuss potential for biomarker discovery and therapeutic innovation.
Main Methods:
- Review of current scientific literature on IBD, epigenetics, and the microbiome.
- Synthesis of data on microbial metabolites and their impact on host epigenetics and metabolism.
- Integration of findings into a conceptual framework.
Main Results:
- Intestinal dysbiosis and microbial metabolites (e.g., SCFAs, bile acids) alter host metabolism and chromatin states.
- A bidirectional microbiome-epigenome dialogue influences mucosal homeostasis or drives inflammation.
- The microbiome-epigenome-mitochondrial axis is a key player in IBD pathogenesis.
Conclusions:
- An integrative perspective on the microbiome-epigenome-mitochondrial axis is crucial for understanding IBD.
- This framework can guide biomarker discovery and the development of novel therapies.
- Targeting this axis may lead to precision strategies for restoring mucosal equilibrium in IBD.
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