Gut microbiota–intestinal immune axis

The gut microbiota–intestinal immune axis refers to the interdependent relationship between the diverse microbial community in the gut and the host’s intestinal immune system. Gut microbes are crucial for digestion, vitamin synthesis, metabolic signaling, and training/development of immune responses, with the intestinal barrier acting as a site for immune surveillance and signaling. This axis plays a pivotal role in maintaining homeostasis, mediating inflammation, and protecting against infection. Dysregulation of this axis (dysbiosis or immune imbalance) is implicated in diseases including inflammatory bowel disease, infections, metabolic disorders, cardiovascular disease, some cancers, and autoimmunity. Therapeutic approaches target this axis with interventions such as probiotics, prebiotics, selective antibiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation to modulate microbiota and immune interactions for health benefit.

Other names

Gut microbiota–immune system axisMicrobiome–immune axisIntestinal microbiome–immunity axis

Mechanism of action involves the modulation of microbiota composition (e.g., via probiotics, antibiotics, or FMT), enhancement of intestinal barrier function (e.g., by probiotics), modulation of immune signaling pathways (e.g., via microbial metabolites like short-chain fatty acids), and reduction of inflammation (mediated by SCFAs and probiotic effects).