Cleveland Clinic researchers have discovered a new bacterium that weakens the immune system in the gut, potentially contributing to certain inflammatory and infectious gut diseases. The team identified the bacterium, Tomasiella immunophila (T. immunophila), which plays a key role in breaking down a crucial immune component of the gut's multi-faceted protective immune barrier.
Identifying this bacterium is the first step to developing new treatments for a variety of inflammatory and infectious gut diseases. These conditions, including inflammatory bowel disease , Crohn's and ulcerative colitis , are associated with decreased levels of secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA), an antibody that protects mucosal surfaces. The study, published in Science , was led by Thaddeus Stappenbeck, M.
D., Ph.D.
, chair of Cleveland Clinic's Department of Inflammation and Immunity, and Qiuhe Lu, Ph.D., research associate and the paper's first author.
"Our research represents a critical role of a specific component of the gut microbiome in human health and disease," said Dr. Stappenbeck. "By identifying this specific bacterium, we have not only enhanced our understanding of gut diseases but also opened a promising new avenue for treatment.
Pinpointing the culprit behind the breakdown of the gut's protective adaptive immune barrier is a significant step toward developing much-needed therapies for conditions like inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn's and ulcerative colitis." In the gut, SIgA binds continu.
