Host-microbe interaction in intestinal homeostasis: unravelling the mechanisms involved in the onset of multiple inflammation-related diseases

While the gut microbiota comprises trillions of microbes, blood and host tissues are nearly devoid of bacteria or bacterial macromolecules. This relative sterility relies on an effective gut barrier that acts as the gatekeeper of our health. Indeed, defects in this first line of defense allow the tissue penetration of bacteria and thereby contribute to the onset of local and systemic inflammation. Strikingly, inflammation is a common contributing factor to numerous diseases such as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), metabolic disorders (i.e., diabetes, liver diseases, cancer cachexia) and some cancers (i.e. colon, liver). Therefore, it is essential to study and
understand the multiple molecular mechanisms underlying the control of intestinal homeostasis and the maintenance of this barrier in order to fully understand the etiology of diseases related to inflammation. Therefore, the HOMISTASIS project (HOst Microbe Interaction in intestinal homeoSTASIS) aims to 1) decipher the molecular mechanisms and complex host-microbe interactions, 2) demonstrate the causality between certain bacteria and/or metabolites and intestinal homeostasis, 3) understand and open new therapeutic
perspectives for these immune-mediated inflammatory diseases by using multidisciplinary approaches coupling human observations and samples with mechanistic studies.