The intestinal microbiota contributes to the ability of helminths to modulate allergic inflammation
Open accessAbstract
Intestinal helminths are potent regulators of their host's immune system and can ameliorate inflammatory diseases such as allergic asthma. In the present study we have assessed whether this anti-inflammatory activity was purely intrinsic to helminths, or whether it also involved crosstalk with the local microbiota. We report that chronic infection with the murine helminth Heligmosomoides polygyrus bakeri (Hpb) altered the intestinal habitat, allowing increased short chain fatty acid (SCFA) production. Transfer of the Hpb-modified microbiota alone was sufficient to mediate protection against allergic asthma. The helminth-induced anti-inflammatory cytokine secretion and regulatory T cell suppressor activity that mediated the protection required the G protein-coupled receptor (GPR)-41. A similar alteration in the metabolic potential of intestinal bacterial communities was observed with diverse parasitic and host species, suggesting that this represents an evolutionary conserved mechanism of host-microbe-helminth interactions.
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Helminths can modify the commensal microbiota in a fashion that raises SCFA concentrations, indirectly promoting regulatory mechanisms in the host.
“In addition, helminths can modify the commensal microbiota in a fashion that raises SCFA concentrations, indirectly promoting regulatory mechanisms in the host (Zaiss et al., 2015).”
From Modulation of Host Immunity by Helminths: The Expanding Repertoire of Parasite Effector Molecules (2018) · cites this paper as Zaiss et al., 2015
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- Authors
- Zaiss, M. M., Rapin, A., Lebon, L., Dubey, L. K., Mosconi, I., Sarter, K., Piersigilli, A., Menin, L., Walker, A. W., Rougemont, J., Paerewijck, O., Geldhof, P., McCoy, K. D., Macpherson, A. J., Croese, J., Giacomin, P. R., Loukas, A., Junt, T., Marsland, B. J., & Harris, N. L.
- Affiliations
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (CH)
- University of Geneva (CH)
- University of Bern (CH)
- University of Aberdeen (GB)
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (CH)
- Ghent University (BE)
- University Hospital of Bern (CH)
- Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine (AU)
- Novartis (Switzerland) (CH)
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CH)
- Corresponding author
- Harris, Nicola L.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Immunity
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2015-11
- Volume
- 43
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 998-1010
- ISSN
- 1074-7613 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC4658337
- OpenAlex
- W1842473254
- Cited by
- 437
- References
- 6
- Citations by year
- 2026: 23 · 2025: 24 · 2024: 42 · 2023: 41 · 2022: 43 · 2021: 46 · 2020: 42 · 2019: 41 · 2018: 46 · 2017: 42 · 2016: 45 · 2015: 2
- FWCI
- 35.88
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Immunity (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- SERVAL (Université de Lausanne) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- ResearchOnline - JCU (James Cook University) (submittedVersion)
- Ghent University Academic Bibliography (Ghent University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Aberdeen University Research Archive (Aberdeen University) (submittedVersion)
- IRIS (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Bern Open Repository and Information System (University of Bern) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
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- Infoscience (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Open Access CRIS of the University of Bern
- Funders
- Wellcome Trust (WT 098051, 098051)
- European Commission (2007–2013, FP/2007/2013)
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Parasitology › Parasites and Host Interactions
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Gut microbiota and health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Asthma and respiratory diseases
- Keywords
- intestinal helminths, Heligmosomoides polygyrus bakeri, gut microbiota, allergic asthma, short-chain fatty acids, GPR41, regulatory T cells, anti-inflammatory cytokines, microbial metabolites, immune regulation
- MeSH terms
- Gastrointestinal Microbiome, Adult, Aged, Animals, Asthma, Fatty Acids, Female, Helminths, Humans, Hypersensitivity, Inflammation, Intestinal Mucosa, Male, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Middle Aged, Nematospiroides dubius, Cytokines, Strongylida Infections, Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled, Mice
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