Complex regulatory effects of gut microbial short-chain fatty acids on immune tolerance and autoimmunity

Immune tolerance deletes or suppresses autoreactive lymphocytes and is established at multiple levels during the development, activation and effector phases of T and B cells. These mechanisms are cell-intrinsically programmed and critical in preventing autoimmune diseases. We have witnessed the existence of another type of immune tolerance mechanism that is shaped by lifestyle choices, such as diet, microbiome and microbial metabolites. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are the most abundant microbial metabolites in the colonic lumen and are mainly produced by the microbial fermentation of prebiotics, such as dietary fiber. This review focuses on the preventive and immunomodulatory effects of SCFAs on…

• DO
  Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

  Award: R01AI074745
• NI
  National Institutes of Health

  Awards: R01AI074745, R01AI121302, R01AI080769
• NI
  National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

  Awards: R01AI080769, R21AI14889801