A gut feeling about butyrate

Inflammatory bowel disease and other inflammatory conditions of the gut have long been associated with imbalances in mucosal levels of microflora-produced short-chain fatty acids such as butyrate and propionate, but the underlying mechanisms were unknown. Work from two separate groups in the U.S. and Japan has now revealed how bacterial butyrate and propionate can drive the differentiation of anti-inflammatory T_reg cells and thus promote mucosal health.^1,2

Both teams are trying to find links between their findings and other immune-related conditions, such as autoimmune diseases and food allergies, while also looking into suitable therapeutic modalities for gut inflammatory conditions...