Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 5, 2026
08:38
Application of Flow Vermimetry for Quantification and Analysis of the Caenorhabditis elegans Gut Microbiome
Published on: March 31, 2023
Host-Microbiome Immune Interaction Networks: A Comparative Evolutionary Perspective Across Worms, Mice, and Humans
Xuanheng Tai1, Yiying Zhang1, Huijie Yang1
1Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory of Public Health and Biosafety, School of Public Health, Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650500, China.
Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland)
|July 28, 2026
Summary
The immune system
Area of Science:
- Immunology and Microbiology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Host-Microbe Interactions
Background:
- The traditional
- self-nonself
- recognition model in immunology is expanding to include host-microbe co-regulation and homeostasis.
- Gut microbiota are central to the development and calibration of the host immune system.
- Understanding these interactions is crucial for addressing modern health challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review host-microbiome immune interactions from a macroevolutionary perspective.
- To compare immune system evolution across species with varying complexity.
- To inform the development of next-generation microbiome therapies.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis across species: *C. elegans*, mice, and humans.
- Examination of immune system evolution from innate to adaptive and complex human systems.
- Review of literature on host-microbe co-regulation and its impact on immunity.
Main Results:
- The immune system has evolved from basic cellular monitoring to a complex network influenced by microbial cues.
- Commensal microbes shape immune development and enhance environmental adaptability.
- Modern ecological shifts and "evolutionary mismatch" can increase susceptibility to inflammatory diseases.
Conclusions:
- Host-microbiome interactions are fundamental to immune system evolution and function.
- This cross-species blueprint guides the development of precision microbiome therapies targeting the holobiont.
- Future therapies may include engineered microbial consortia and personalized postbiotics.
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