Gut Microbiota and Intestinal Inflammation

Abstract SCI-49

Numerous studies of the microbiota that are found throughout the human body are under way, with the goal of unraveling the role of microbes in human physiology. Using experimental colitis models, we are investigating microbes that may instigate chronic inflammation, and we are studying putative beneficial microbes whose reduced presence may impact not only host response to the microbiota but also the behavior of the endogenous microbiota. Genomic approaches, combined with following microbial community response to a spectrum of dietary and pharmacologic perturbations, are shedding light on the dynamic operations of the microbiota that influence health and disease. Chronic inflammation in the intestine is not only the central pathophysiologic mechanism of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) but also a key contributor to colorectal cancer. Ongoing work on the colorectal microbiome, using experimental models and human tumors, will be discussed. Collectively, our studies support the utility of wedding culture-independent and culture-dependent studies with mouse models for defining how the gut microbiota works in concert with the mucosal immune system to shape disease susceptibility for IBD and colorectal cancer.