Gut microbes trigger autoimmune disease in mice

The colonisation of the gut of young mice by certain types of bacteria can lead to immune responses later in life that are linked to disease, researchers have revealed.
Increases in the levels of segmented filamentous bacteria can trigger changes in the lymphoid tissue of the mouse gut that results in the production of antibodies that attack the cell nucleus. This type of damage is a hallmark of autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus.
“Our results demonstrate how gut health in young animals may be linked to autoimmune disease in older animals,” explains Prof Dirk Elewaut, one of the lead authors of the study. “Further work is needed to establish the precise molecular mechanisms that leads to the onset of diseases like systemic lupus erythematosus and systemic sclerosis in humans but we now have a new path of enquiry that we can pursue and look for potential interventions.”

Image credit: Toby Fruge

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