April 21, 2017
Keio University
Keio University, the University of Michigan (USA), and the University of Chicago (USA) have revealed that the maturation of the gut microbiota during infancy is crucial for resistance to intestinal infections. This is the achievement of a research group led by Associate Professor Yun-Gi Kim of the Faculty of Pharmacy, Keio University (a former researcher in the Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School); Project Associate Professor Shinji Fukuda of the Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University (in Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture) and a JST PRESTO researcher; Professor Gabriel Nuñez and Postdoctoral Fellow Kei Sakamoto of the Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School; and Professor Cathryn R. Nagler of the Department of Pathology, University of Chicago.
It is known that infants are susceptible to intestinal pathogens, but the detailed mechanisms behind this have remained largely unclear. Using metabolome analysis techniques on germ-free mice raised in a sterile environment, the research group has now demonstrated that the high susceptibility of infants to intestinal infections is due to their immature gut microbiota. They also revealed that this high susceptibility to intestinal pathogens in infants is caused by a lack of bacteria from the order *Clostridiales*. Furthermore, they discovered that metabolites produced by the immature infant gut microbiota promote the growth of *Clostridiales* bacteria in the intestine, thereby conferring resistance to intestinal infections.
This study reveals that an immature gut microbiota is one of the reasons for the high susceptibility to intestinal infections in infancy. It is expected to lead to the development of new preventative and therapeutic methods targeting the gut microbiota to enhance intestinal infection resistance in infants, as well as other clinical applications. The results of this research will be published in the online edition of the international academic journal *Science* on April 21, 2017 (US Eastern Time).
Please see below for the full press release.