Host-Intestinal Microbe Interactions in Human Health and Disease.

The human intestine harbours a complex community of microorganisms, known as the gut microbiota. Significant progress in microbiota research has not only provided knowledge into its composition and abundance, but has also elucidated its crucial functions and potential applications to human health and disease. This review will summarize the key understandings of the gut microbiota to date, with particular emphasis on gut microbiota development and the mechanisms for microbial interactions with the host immune system and the intestinal epithelium. Finally, it will explore the potential microbiota therapies currently being researched, and discuss some of the challenges of translating the current evidence from basic science to human trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]