Issue 5 june 2016 Special Report Microbiota and allergies

On our journey through the world of microbiota and its relationship with its host (that is to say, us!), in this 5th issue, let us stop to look at the interactions between our microbiota and our immune system.

You are about to discover that our microbiota and, in particular, our gut microbiota is fundamental for the normal development of our immune system. To give an example, germ-free mice raised in a fully sterile environment display a greatly perturbed immune system. Our special report, dedicated to allergies, provides an interesting overview of human and animal studies and shows that our knowledge in this area has made considerable progress in recent years.

It further highlights that the relationship between our microbiota and our immune system are now much better understood. Moreover, therapeutic approaches using pre- and probiotics start to emerge for the treatment of allergic diseases. As such, early childhood is particularly important as gut microbiota and immune cells are in constant dialogue to help build one another. Furthermore, the least disturbance to the system experienced during this critical period, such as after taking antibiotics, can entail long-term effects with adverse consequences on immunity as well as on the metabolism (see The Microbiota Chronicle p. 16).

Great overview of the latest articles, selected and commented by our experts, as well as news about the latest conferences!

And as always from now on, a simple and efficient reference section to help you navigate the marvellous world of the bacteria will guide you throughout your reading.

We hope you enjoy it.