Gut microbiome–host immune system interaction

The interaction between the **gut microbiome** (the community of microorganisms living in the gastrointestinal tract) and the **host immune system** represents a complex, bidirectional relationship that regulates both local and systemic immunity. The gut microbiome is essential for healthy immune development, influencing both the innate (e.g., granulocytes, macrophages, dendritic cells, natural killer cells) and adaptive (e.g., T cells, B cells, regulatory T cells) branches of the immune system[1][3][4][5]. Microbial metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids directly and indirectly modulate inflammatory signals, help maintain the intestinal barrier, and promote immune tolerance[1][2][3][4][5][6]. Dysregulation of this crosstalk (dysbiosis) can lead to increased susceptibility to infections, chronic inflammation, metabolic syndrome, autoimmune diseases, and even cancer[2][3][4]. The system is not itself a **single molecule or conventional drug target** but rather an ecological and immunological axis; thus, it is not considered a therapeutic target in the traditional sense (receptor, enzyme, transporter, etc.). However, therapeutics such as probiotics, prebiotics, and microbiome modulation strategies aim to restore or harness this crosstalk for disease prevention and therapy[1][2][3][4][5][6].

Other names

gut microbiota–immune system crosstalkgut microbiome–immune system axismicrobiota–immune interactionsgut–immune axis

Modulation of microbiota composition; Induction of regulatory T cells; Enhancement of epithelial barrier integrity; Modification of short-chain fatty acid production; Suppression of pro-inflammatory responses