Bacterial Epithelial Cell Cross Talk

A comprehensive overview of bacterial-host interactions occurring at mucosal surfaces including gastrointestinal, respiratory, and urogenital tracts.

An emerging theme in molecular and cellular microbiology has been the ability of many pathogens to usurp the host cell and eventually colonize the host. This interaction between bacteria and host is not unidirectional - both pathogens and host cells engage in a signalling cross-talk. Research focused on this cross-talk and discussed in this volume, reveals not only novel aspects of bacterial pathogenesis, but also key information about epithelial biology with broader implications in the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. Written by leading researchers in this field, this book provides a valuable overview of the host-bacterial interactions that occur at mucosal surfaces including the gastrointestinal, respiratory, and urogenital tracts. It will therefore be a valuable resource for graduate students and researchers working on these systems or in the fields of molecular and cellular microbiology or infectious disease medicine.

80% of the bodies' immune cells are harbored within the intestine. They are only separated from 1014 microorganisms by a single layer of intestinal epithelial cells and a secreted superficial mucus layer. Therefore, the intestinal epithelial surface represents a main frontier in host defense. Providing an intact mucosal barrier is vital for the host to limit bacterial entry and spread to the circulation. This specialized localization requires dynamic responses of intestinal epithelial cells to both pathogen- and immune-derived signals. Moreover, emergency barriers are needed in the setting of epithelial damage, which allow provisional microbial control and a timely restitution of mucosal integrity. Epithelial cells constantly interact with subjacent immune cells and fibroblasts, actively directing the immune response and also shaping the luminal microbiota. Epithelial dysfunction has been appreciated in recent years as a driving element in the pathogenesis of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD). Additionally, primary immune deficiencies may manifest in the form of chronic intestinal inflammation mimicking features of IBD. Recent advances in the techniques of epithelial cell culture and the discovery of new immune cell types and cellular properties have tremendously advanced the understanding in this interesting field of research. In this research topic, we want to focus on the complex interaction of intestinal epithelial cells, luminal flora and adjacent immune cells and invite manuscripts which highlight the dynamic responses of both epithelium and immune cells under steady-state or inflammatory conditions, and envision how this may be translated to the benefit of patient-care.

Our body is not sterile and harbors enumerable microflora that are now being understood to play a complex role in immune regulation and shaping of the immune system in a continuous and dynamic way. In 8 chapters, Microbial Crosstalk with Immune System: New Insights in Therapeutics provides an overall introduction with special focus on how the immune system which is specifically geared to get rid of non-self-antigens, allows numerous microbes to colonize the human body. In the presence of microbes there are several observations that suggest that there are multiple roles that are played by these microbes in tumor progression and shaping of our immune system which is explained at length in subsequent chapters. Microbial Crosstalk with Immune System: New Insights in Therapeutics discusses the emerging mechanisms of immune-therapeutics as well as its limitations while emphasizing the potential role of microbes in shaping immune-therapeutic and evolving novel strategies to deal with any limitations. Focuses on the modulation of immune system by the microbiome, thus affecting cancer prognosis Discusses various current research strategies in the field that are still in experimental stages. enabling readers to gain a perspective on the ongoing research in the field Gives insight into the emerging mechanisms of immune-therapeutics and its limitations Emphasizes the potential role of microbes in shaping immune-therapeutics

“Infogest” (Improving Health Properties of Food by Sharing our Knowledge on the Digestive Process) is an EU COST action/network in the domain of Food and Agriculture that will last for 4 years from April 4, 2011. Infogest aims at building an open international network of institutes undertaking multidisciplinary basic research on food digestion gathering scientists from different origins (food scientists, gut physiologists, nutritionists...). The network gathers 70 partners from academia, corresponding to a total of 29 countries. The three main scientific goals are: Identify the beneficial food components released in the gut during digestion; Support the effect of beneficial food components on human health; Promote harmonization of currently used digestion models Infogest meetings highlighted the need for a publication that would provide researchers with an insight into the advantages and disadvantages associated with the use of respective in vitro and ex vivo assays to evaluate the effects of foods and food bioactives on health. Such assays are particularly important in situations where a large number of foods/bioactives need to be screened rapidly and in a cost effective manner in order to ultimately identify lead foods/bioactives that can be the subject of in vivo assays. The book is an asset to researchers wishing to study the health benefits of their foods and food bioactives of interest and highlights which in vitro/ex vivo assays are of greatest relevance to their goals, what sort of outputs/data can be generated and, as noted above, highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the various assays. It is also an important resource for undergraduate students in the ‘food and health’ arena.