Molecular Immunology of Intestinal Epithelial Interactions with Autochthonous Bacteria

The present research is designed to understand more clearly the molecular basis by which the host immune system tolerates the residence of a foreign and antigenically complex microbiota in the intestine. Defining molecular determinants of epithelial interactions with normal intestinal bacteria will represent an important advance in our understanding of immune tolerance and potentially offer novel possibilities for preventing or treating chronic and debilitating inflammatory bowel disorders.