Stomach microbiota, Helicobacter pylori, and group 2 innate lymphoid cells

Abstract

Gut microbiome: a surprise in the stomach The stomach’s microbiota, and its effect on immune development, may be key factors in fending off infection with Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium found in the stomach that can lead to gastric upset and, if left untreated, ulcers or stomach cancer. Unlike the intestines, the stomach was thought to contain few bacteria owing to its high acidity, but according to new studies, the stomach harbors its own set of microbiota. Hiroshi Ohno and Naoko Satoh-Takayama at the RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences and Yokohama City University, Japan, review how gastric microbiota affects development of immune cells in the stomach. They report that the stomach’s unique microbiota influences maturation of particular immune cells, which may be crucial in fighting off H. pylori infection. These findings illuminate a new area in microbiome research.