Microbial-immune homeostasis

Microbial-immune homeostasis describes the state of balanced interaction between a host’s commensal microbiota (bacteria, archaea, fungi, and viruses) and the immune system, particularly within mucosal surfaces like the intestine. The microbiota educates, regulates, and matures both innate and adaptive immune defenses, while the immune system maintains tolerance to commensals and insulates tissues from harmful microbes through physical barriers (mucus, tight junctions), antimicrobial peptides, secretory IgA, and specialized immune cell functions[1][2][3][5]. Disruption of this equilibrium (dysbiosis or immune dysfunction) underlies the pathogenesis of immune-mediated diseases, chronic inflammation, and susceptibility to infection[3][5]. There is no individual target named "Microbial-immune homeostasis." This term refers to an emergent property of many molecular and cellular processes, involving a wide array of receptors (e.g., Toll-like receptors, pattern recognition receptors), cells (dendritic cells, macrophages, regulatory T cells), and secreted factors (cytokines, IgA, antimicrobial peptides), but it is not itself druggable or a direct therapeutic target[1][2][3][5].

Other names

microbial-immune axishost-microbiome immune homeostasismicrobiota-immune homeostasis