#  Neuronal detection of microbes and gastrointestinal inflammation 

 



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 The gastrointestinal tract is one of the most densely innervated organs in the body. Both gut-extrinsic and intrinsic neurons interact within the gut to mediate homeostasis and physiology. We are particularly interested in defining how neurons, microbes, and immune cells crosstalk to regulate barrier function and immunity. Pain is a component of gastrointestinal diseases including enteric infections, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). We have found that during *Salmonella* infection, nociceptors regulate peyer’s patch M cells to defend the gut against pathogen invasion. Commensal microbes can also directly impact nociceptor and enteric neuronal function. Defining how neurons interact with specific epithelial and immune cell populations could lead to new treatments for gut inflammatory diseases. We are studying these interactions in the context of food allergies, bacterial infections, and colitis.

   ![gastrointestinal_tract.jpg](/sites/g/files/omnuum8911/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/chiu/files/gastrointestinal_tract.jpg?itok=jJkT4Glu) 

 

   ![cellular_interactions.jpg](/sites/g/files/omnuum8911/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/chiu/files/cellular_interactions.jpg?itok=jeheIk5v) 

 

 Publications on this topic:

1. Yissachar N, Zhou Y, Ung L, Lai NY, Mohan JF, Ehrlicher A, Weitz DA, Kasper D, **Chiu IM**\*, Mathis D\*, Benoist C\*. An intestinal organ culture system uncovers a role for the nervous system in microbe/immunocyte crosstalk. *Cell.* 2017 Mar 9; 168(6):1135-1148. PMCID: [PMC5396461](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5396461/). \*Co-corresponding authors.  [PDF](/files/yissachar_et_al_2017_cell_0.pdf)
2. Lai NY, Musser MA\*, Pinho-Ribeiro FA\*, Baral P\*, Jacobson A\*, Ma P, Potts DE, Chen Z, Paik D, Soualhi S, Yan Y, Misra A, Goldstein K, Lagomarsino V, Nordstrom A, Sivanathan KN, Wallrapp A, Kuchroo VK, Nowarski R, Starnbach MN, Shi H, Surana NK, An D, Wu C, Huh JR, Rao M, **Chiu IM**. Gut-innervating nociceptor neurons regulate Peyer’s Patch Microfold cells and SFB levels to mediate *Salmonella* host defense. *Cell.* 2020 Jan 9;180(1)33-49. PMCID: [PMC6954329](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6954329/).  [PDF](/files/lai_et_al_2020_cell.pdf)