Complex organs (e.g., intestines) hold multiple and parallel functions that are seemingly independent. However, some of these functions can rival one another, creating energy allocation and prioritization challenges.

Our lab wants to understand how parallel functions of an organ are coordinated in a manner that promotes optimal physiological responses. For this purpose, we study the intestine, an organ part of the gastrointestinal tract that has several vital functions. One is to serve as a conduit for the uptake of food-derived nutrients and microbiome-derived metabolites, and another is to serve as a barrier that prevents tissue invasion by microorganisms and tempers inflammatory responses to the myriad contents of the intestinal lumen.

But how does the intestine coordinate physiological and immune responses to food consumption and microbes in a manner that optimizes nutrient uptake while maintaining barrier functions?

We identified that gut neurons interact with immune cells, forming neuroimmune circuits that control intestinal immunity and barrier functions. Moreover, this neuroimmune circuit also controls host-microbiota relationships and optimizes nutrient uptake from the diet. Therefore, neurons and the cellular circuits they form with immune cells are essential to integrate parallel functions in the gut, promoting optimal physiological responses.

These neuroimmune circuits sense environmental cues from the diet and microbes in crosstalk that are essential for maintaining intestinal immune, metabolic, and microbial homeostasis. Disturbances in this homeostasis are associated with developing diseases, including intestinal dysfunctions (e.g., inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome), metabolic alterations (e.g., obesity and diabetes), and malnutrition. Therefore, it is essential to understand better how neuroimmune circuits coordinate intestinal functions.

We now focus on identifying how dietary factors and microbial products trigger neuroimmune circuits. We are also interested in characterizing how different neuroimmune circuits integrate intestinal immunity, metabolism, and host-microbiota interactions.