Gut microbiota ecosystem and host immune system

The **gut microbiota ecosystem and host immune system** together form a complex, bidirectional network critical for host health but do not represent a single molecule, protein, or canonical drug target. The gut microbiota comprises trillions of microorganisms whose metabolic products and cell-surface components interact with both innate and adaptive branches of the host immune system, influencing immune development, homeostasis, mucosal immunity, and systemic immune responses[1][2][3][4][5][7]. Disruption of this ecosystem, known as dysbiosis, is associated with a wide spectrum of diseases, including inflammatory, metabolic, autoimmune, infectious, and cancerous pathologies. Conventional drugs such as antibiotics and experimental interventions like probiotics and FMT exert therapeutic effects by modifying the microbial-immune axis. However, the "gut microbiota ecosystem and host immune system" is not a discrete therapeutic target but instead describes an ecological and immunological interface, making this designation overly broad and non-canonical as a single drug target[1][2][4].

Other names

Gut microbiome and immunityMicrobiota-immune system axisMicrobiota-host immune crosstalk

Modulation of metabolic products (e.g., short-chain fatty acids) that influence immune cell function; Regulation of cytokine and immunoglobulin production; Maintenance of epithelial barrier function; Training and development of host immune cells