Study uncovers the mystery behind why patients with intestinal diseases have an imbalance in the gut microbiota.

‘Bacterial species Klebsiella known to colonize the intestine when the microbiome is impaired could elicit severe inflammation ultimately contributing to bowel disease.’

To investigate further, Koji Atarashi and colleagues obtained saliva samples from IBD and CD patients and transplanted them into germ-free mice. The researchers observed that strains of the bacterial species Klebsiella isolated from the saliva that inhabited the gut triggered a strong T cell immune response in some of the rodents. The authors say that Klebsiella are known to colonize the intestine when the microbiome is impaired and therefore could elicit severe inflammation in a genetically susceptible host, ultimately contributing to bowel disease. 




They note the results could provide a therapeutic strategy to correct IBD and many other related disorders by targeting oral-derived bacteria, particularly Klebsiella. A related Perspective by Xuetao Cao et al. delves into the findings further.
Source-Eurekalert