Antibiotics damage the colonic mucus barrier in a microbiota-independent manner.

Antibiotic use is a risk factor for development of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs). IBDs are characterized by a damaged mucus layer, which does not separate the intestinal epithelium from the microbiota. Here, we hypothesized that antibiotics affect the integrity of the mucus barrier, which allows bacterial penetrance and predisposes to intestinal inflammation.

Salmonella manipulates the host to drive pathogenicity via induction of interleukin 1β.

Acute gastrointestinal infection with intracellular pathogens like Salmonella Typhimurium triggers the release of the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin 1β (IL-1β). However, the role of IL-1β in intestinal defense against Salmonella remains unclear. Here, we show that IL-1β production is detrimental during Salmonella infection.

Autophagy controls mucus secretion from intestinal goblet cells by alleviating ER stress.

Colonic goblet cells are specialized epithelial cells that secrete mucus to physically separate the host and its microbiota, thus preventing bacterial invasion and inflammation. How goblet cells control the amount of mucus they secrete is unclear. We found that constitutive activation of autophagy in mice via Beclin 1 enables the production of a thicker and less penetrable mucus layer by reducing endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress.

Lasting Effects of Helicobacter pylori Infection on the Microbial Communities of Patients with and without Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth.

Gastrointestinal (GI) microbial populations are important in maintaining normal functioning of the GI by preventing disorders. Dysbiotic microbiota may increase the likelihood of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), a syndrome associated with significant morbidity. We aimed to inves- tigate the microbiota populations of patients with SIBO.

Ontogeny of the B Cell Receptor Repertoire and Microbiome in Mice.

The immune system matures throughout childhood to achieve full functionality in protecting our bodies against threats. The immune system has a strong reciprocal symbiosis with the host bacterial population and the two systems co-develop, shaping each other. Despite their fundamental role in health physiology, the ontogeny of these systems is poorly characterized.

Fecal microbiota transplant promotes response in immunotherapy-refractory melanoma patients.

The gut microbiome has been shown to influence the response of tumors to anti-PD-1 (programmed cell death-1) immunotherapy in preclinical mouse models and observational patient cohorts. However, modulation of gut microbiota in cancer patients has not been investigated in clinical trials. In this study, we performed a phase 1 clinical trial to assess the safety and feasibility of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) and reinduction of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy in 10 patients with anti-PD-1-refractory metastatic melanoma.

In utero human intestine harbors unique metabolome, including bacterial metabolites.

Symbiotic microbial colonization through the establishment of the intestinal microbiome is critical to many intestinal functions, including nutrient metabolism, intestinal barrier integrity, and immune regulation. Recent studies suggest that education of intestinal immunity may be ongoing in utero. However, the drivers of this process are unknown.