Press release: Cells in the gut purge themselves to protect themselves from bacteria

Although purging is not as prescribed as it was a few centuries ago, the cells of the intestine tirelessly use this old remedy. Researchers from the Immune Response and Development in Insects (CNRS), Molecular Immunorheumatology (Inserm / University of Strasbourg) and Food and Microbiological Processes (AgroSup Dijon / University of Burgundy) laboratories have shown that intestinal cells attacked by pathogenic bacteria purge themselves quickly of much of their content. This protects them from infection and causes a strong and temporary thinning of the epithelium. This work, published Nov. 23 in Cell Host & Microbe, may ultimately help better understand inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn’s disease.

(link to the article – french version)