October 20, 2017
Keio University School of Medicine
RIKEN
Waseda University
Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED)
A joint research group led by Professor Kenya Honda of the Keio University School of Medicine (who also serves as team leader for the Laboratory for Gut Homeostasis at the RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences) and Professor Masahira Hattori of the Faculty of Science and Technology at Waseda University has used mice to demonstrate that when the balance of the gut microbiota is disrupted,Klebsiellabacteria, which are normally present in the oral cavity, can colonize the intestine. This colonization can trigger an excessive activation of immune cells called TH1 cells, potentially contributing to the onset of inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
These findings are expected to lead to the development of new preventive methods, therapeutic drugs, and diagnostic agents for inflammatory diseases that target bacteria.
This research was published in the October 20, 2017, issue of the international academic journal "Science".
Title: Ectopic colonization of oral bacteria in the intestine drives TH1 cell induction and inflammation
Please see below for the full press release.