Gut microbiota and host intestinal mucosa

The gut microbiota and host intestinal mucosa constitute a dynamic ecosystem and physical barrier essential for maintaining systemic homeostasis. The microbiota, comprising bacteria, fungi, and viruses, performs critical metabolic functions such as the fermentation of non-digestible carbohydrates into short-chain fatty acids, which serve as energy for colonocytes (Nature Reviews Microbiology, 2016). The host mucosa acts as a selective barrier, utilizing a mucus layer, antimicrobial peptides, and a tight junction-linked epithelial layer to prevent the translocation of pathogens while allowing nutrient absorption (Science, 2017). Disruptions in this interface, known as dysbiosis or "leaky gut," are central to the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases, metabolic disorders, and certain cancers (Cell, 2020). Pharmacological and biotherapeutic interventions target this system by introducing beneficial microbes, providing prebiotic substrates, or using biologics to stabilize the host immune response at the mucosal surface.

Other names

Gut-microbiome-host interfaceIntestinal mucosal barrierGut-microbiota-mucosal axisIntestinal microbiota-host interface

Therapeutic strategies involve the modulation of microbial populations to reduce pro-inflammatory signals, the reinforcement of the intestinal epithelial barrier, and the induction of regulatory T-cell responses through microbial metabolites like short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs).