Role of gut microbiota in intestinal wound healing and barrier function

ABSTRACT

The mammalian intestine harbors a highly complex and abundant ensemble of bacteria that flourish in a nutrient-rich environment while profoundly influencing many aspects of host biology. The intestine coevolved with its resident microbes in a manner where the mucosa developed a barrier function to segregate the resident microbes from the rest of the body, and yet paradoxically, allowing integration of microbial signals for the host benefit. In this review, we provided a comprehensive overview of why the gut microbiota is key to the efficient development and maintenance of the intestinal barrier. We also highlighted how a destabilized equilibrium between gut microbiota and the host may eventuate in a wide range of intestinal diseases characterized by the disrupted intestinal barrier. Finally, the review delineated how microenvironmental changes in the injured mucosa result in an enrichment of a pro-regenerating consortium of bacteria, which augments mucosal wound repair and restoration of barrier functions.

Keywords:

• gut microbiota
• microbiome
• intestinal wound healing
• intestinal barrier function
• mucosal wound microenvironment
• intestinal inflammation

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest

No potential conflict of interest were disclosed.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants K01DK114391 to A.A. and R01AI064462 and R01DK089763 to A.N;National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases [R01DK089763];National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases [R01AI064462];National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases [K01DK114391];