Gut-derived short-chain fatty acids modulate skin barrier integrity by promoting keratinocyte metabolism and differentiation.

Barrier integrity is central to the maintenance of healthy immunological homeostasis. Impaired skin barrier function is linked with enhanced allergen sensitization and the development of diseases such as atopic dermatitis (AD), which can precede the development of other allergic disorders, for example, food allergies and asthma. Epidemiological evidence indicates that children suffering from allergies have lower levels of dietary fibre-derived short-chain fatty acids (SCFA).

Microbiome-induced antigen-presenting cell recruitment coordinates skin and lung allergic inflammation.

Background: Allergic skin inflammation often presents in early childhood; however, little is known about the events leading to its initiation and whether it is transient or long-term in nature.

Objective: We sought to determine the immunologic rules that govern skin inflammation in early life.

Methods: Neonatal and adult mice were epicutaneously sensitized with allergen followed by airway allergen challenge.

Early-Life Formation of the Microbial and Immunological Environment of the Human Airways.

Crosstalk between immune cells and the microbiota in mucosal tissues can set an individual on a trajectory toward health or disease. Little is known about these early-life events in the human respiratory tract. We examined bacterial colonization and immune system maturation in the lower airways over the first year of life.

Dietary Fiber Confers Protection against Flu by Shaping Ly6c Patrolling Monocyte Hematopoiesis and CD8 T Cell Metabolism.

Dietary fiber protects against chronic inflammatory diseases by dampening immune responses through short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Here we examined the effect of dietary fiber in viral infection, where the anti-inflammatory properties of SCFAs in principle could prevent protective immunity. Instead, we found that fermentable dietary fiber increased survival of influenza-infected mice through two complementary mechanisms.