Bacterial-host interactions in inflammatory bowel disease

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is the collective name for a group of chronic relapsing infections of the intestinal tract. There is increasing evidence that the composition of the human microbiota plays a key role in the development of IBD. The control of symbiotic and pathogenic bacteria is tightly regulated by both the adaptive and innate immune responses. IBD is a multifactorial disorder and identification of the most relevant effectors associated with IBD can give us new insights for future therapy strategies. In this review we combine data concerning the innate and adaptive immune response towards intestinal microbes and discuss possible mechanisms by which microbes play a role in IBD disease pathogenesis.