How do gut bacteria strains boost our immune system?

肠道细菌是人类健康和疾病的主要参与者。大量研究表明，肠道菌群组成与越来越多的人类疾病之间存在相关性。然而，支持肠道细菌与宿主相互作用的分子机制仍然不明确，限制了有意义的干预措施来恢复微生物平衡。拟议的博士研究生项目的目标是确定细菌粘附素对哺乳动物胃肠道中罗伊氏乳杆菌菌株宿主免疫反应的影响。预计该博士项目的结果将确定肠道中罗伊氏乳杆菌保留和免疫调节特性的重要分子决定因素。这些知识是设计和/或选择具有所需特异性的益生菌菌株的关键。

Gut bacteria are major players of human health and disease. Numerous studies have shown correlations between the gut microbiota composition and an ever growing list of human diseases. However the molecular mechanisms underpinning the interaction of gut bacteria with the host remain ill-defined, limiting meaningful interventions to restore microbial balance. The objectives of the proposed PhD studentship project are to determine the impact of bacterial adhesins on the host immune response of Lactobacillus reuteri strains in the mammalian gastrointestinal tract. It is expected that the results from this PhD project will pinpoint molecular determinants important for retention and immunomodulatory properties of L. reuteri in the gut. This knowledge is key to the design and/or selection of probiotic strains with the required specificities.