Scientists from the Institut Pasteur and Inserm have discovered that a key immune response is generated when solid food is introduced and microbiota expands. Interview with Gérard Eberl, Head of the Microenvironment and Immunity Unit (Institut Pasteur / Inserm) and lead author of the study.
Microbes colonize all body surfaces and help to balance the immune system. In newborn infants, gut microbiota is first conditioned by breast milk components. When solid food is introduced, gut microbiota develops and bacteria proliferate. Scientists from the Institut Pasteur and Inserm have discovered that a key immune response is generated in mice when solid food is introduced and microbiota expands. But, above all, they have shown that this immune reaction is essential as it is involved in educating the immune system and leads to low susceptibility to inflammatory disorders (allergies, colitis, autoimmune diseases, cancer) in adulthood. These findings were published in the journal Immunity on March 19, 2019.
Gérard Eberl, Head of the Microenvironment and Immunity Unit (Institut Pasteur / Inserm) and lead author of the study, explains us (video in French).
