Work

An innately dangerous balancing act: intestinal homeostasis, inflammation, and colitis-associated cancer

Year: 2010

Type: review

Abstract: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized by dysregulated immune responses to the intestinal microbiota, and by chronic intestinal inflammation. Several recent studies demonstrate the importance of innate microbial recognition by immune and nonimmune cells in the gut. Paradoxically, either diminished or exacerbated innate immune signaling may trigger the breakdown of intestinal homeostasis, leading to IBD and colitis-associated cancer (CAC). This dichotomy may reflect divergent functional roles for immune sensing in intestinal epithelial cells and leukocytes, which may vary with distinct disease mechanisms.

Source: The Journal of Experimental Medicine

DOI: 10.1084/jem.20101330

Authors: Mark Asquith, Fiona Powrie

Institution: University of Oxford

Language: English

Topic: Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Subfield: Genetics

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funder: Wellcome Trust