Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic discovered a bacterium that weakens the immune system in the gut, which could contribute to inflammatory and infectious gut diseases.
The study, published in Science, revealed that the bacterium — Tomasiella immunophila — plays a role in breaking down a crucial component of the gut's immune barrier, according to a Sept. 26 news release from the health system.
The research was led by Thaddeus Stappenbeck, MD, PhD, chair of Cleveland Clinic’s department of inflammation and immunity, and Qiuhe Lu, PhD, a research associate.
According to the release, identifying this bacterium is a key step in developing treatments for various inflammatory and infectious gut diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
Researchers found that the presence of Tomasiella immunophila in the gut increases susceptibility to pathogens and delays the repair of the gut's protective barrier.