Gut microbiota and host cells

The interaction between the gut microbiota—a diverse community of microorganisms in the intestinal tract—and host cells is a fundamental aspect of mammalian physiology that profoundly influences immunity, metabolism, nutrition, development, and disease susceptibility. These interactions are mediated by direct contact, microbe- or host-derived metabolites, secreted proteins, and host immune system components such as immunoglobulin A and antimicrobial peptides[1][2][3][4][6]. Dysregulation or imbalance in these interactions, known as dysbiosis, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of a spectrum of diseases including inflammatory, metabolic, and neurodegenerative disorders. The study of gut microbiota–host cell interactions is a major area of interest in biomedical research, with aims to develop microbiota-targeted interventions for disease treatment and prevention[1][4][6]. This entry represents a broad biological process or interaction network rather than a defined therapeutic target. For structured drug-target research, it is necessary to specify particular molecules, receptors, or pathways within this interaction axis (for example, "Toll-like receptor 4," "Short-chain fatty acid receptor," "Secretory immunoglobulin A," etc.)[1][3][5].

Other names

Microbiota–host interactionGut microbiome–host interplayHost–microbiota crosstalkMicrobiome–host interactions