A groundbreaking study involving researchers from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) and Weill Cornell Medical College has uncovered a previously unknown role of fungi in shaping intestinal immunity. The discovery of Kazachstania pintolopesii (Kp), a commensal yeast in mice, highlights how fungal residents of the gut microbiome can influence immune responses to parasitic worms, offering potential new strategies for treating infections and immune disorders.
Unlike other fungi that transiently colonize the gut, Kp can be passed from one generation to the next and significantly enhances type 2 immune responses, which are associated with fighting parasitic worms and allergic reactions. Remarkably, Kp boosts resistance to intestinal helminths, parasitic worms that afflict millions worldwide. The work demonstrated that Kp colonization reduces worm burdens in infected mice, suggesting a direct role in enhancing anti-parasite immunity. This finding provides an essential new model for studying fungal commensalism and its impact on host health, filling a gap in microbiome research that has historically overlooked fungi. The study also reveals a complex three-way interaction between fungi, parasites, and the host immune system, highlighting how different components of the microbiome shape health outcomes.
The discovery of Kp opens avenues for future research and potential therapies. Understanding how Kp strengthens immunity against helminths could lead to innovative treatments for parasitic infections. Additionally, studying fungal colonization in humans might offer insights into immune activation in conditions like asthma or autoimmune diseases.
This research underscores the need to consider fungi as a vital component of the gut microbiome.
In the News
Discovery of a commensal fungus that shapes anti-parasite and allergic immune responses. This groundbreaking discovery opens up new opportunities to study the role of host-fungus interactions in intestinal immunity. The Institute News. December 20, 2024.
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Fungal symbiont transmitted by free-living mice promotes type 2 immunity. Liao Y, Gao IH, Kusakabe T, Lin WY, Grier A, Pan X, Morzhanaeva O, Shea TP, Yano H, Karo-Atar D, Olsen KA, Oh JH, Vandegrift KJ, King IL, Cuomo CA, Artis D, Rehermann B, Lipman N, Iliev ID. Nature. 2024 Dec;636(8043):697-704.