Gutsy sensations modulate intestinal disease

Pain is a hallmark symptom associated with intestinal inflammation. Two related articles published in Cell by Zhang et al. and by Yang et al. now report how sensory neurons in the gut, the most heavily innervated organ in the human body, flag bacterial pathogens to shape the composition of the gut microbiome and to trigger immuno-regulatory mechanisms.

Automated summary

Pain is a characteristic symptom of intestinal inflammation. Two articles published in Cell by Zhang et al. and by Yang et al. reveal how gut sensory neurons identify bacterial pathogens, modulate gut microbiome composition, and activate immune regulatory mechanisms.