Bile Acids as Key Mediators of the Gut Microbiota–Immune Axis: Potential Biomarker and Therapeutic Perspectives

Bile acids (BAs), long recognized for their role in lipid digestion, have recently emerged as key signaling molecules at the interface of host metabolism, immunity, and gut microbiota (GM). BAs are synthesized in hepatocytes and subsequently extensively modified by microbial enzymes in the gut, producing a diverse and dynamic pool that strongly shapes the GM-immune axis. Through activation of receptors such as the Farnesoid X receptor and the G protein-coupled receptor TGR5, BAs regulate inflammation, metabolic pathways, and intestinal immune homeostasis, particularly influencing the balance between regulatory T cells and pro-inflammatory Th17 cells. Microbial transformations, primarily deconjugation and…

• UD
  Università degli Studi di Firenze

  Award: CUP B55F21007810001
• FU
  Fondazione Umberto Veronesi