Dan Littman Part 2: Shaping of Immune Responses by the Microbiota

Littman explains that different commensal microbes in our gut elicit different T cell responses – either pathogenic or non-pathogenic. His lab is beginning to identify the pathogens and decipher the pathways that determines the host T cell response. This research has important clinical relevance since a cancer patient’s microbiota may help determine their response to chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Microbiota that induce non-pathogenic Th17 cells and regulatory T cells are protective against autoimmunity but may decrease anti-tumor immunity, while microbiota that contribute to autoimmunity may enhance anti-tumor T cell responses.