Precision cut intestinal slices, a novel model of acute food allergic reactions

From bite to brain: Neuro-immune interactions in food allergy

Immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated food allergies are reported to affect around 3.5% of children and 2.4% of adults, with symptoms varying in range and severity. While being the gold standard for diagnosis, oral food challenges are burdensome, and diagnostic tools based on specific IgE can be flawed. Furthering our understanding of the mechanisms behind food allergy onset, severity and persistence could help reveal immune profiles associated with the disease, to ultimately aid in diagnosis. Alterations to cytokine levels and immune cell ratios have been identified, though further research is needed to fully capture the heterogenous nature of food allergy. Moreover, the existence of such immune alterations also raises the question of potential wider systemic effects. For example, recent research has emphasised the existence and impact of neuro-immune interactions and implicated behavioural and neurological changes associated with food allergy. This review will provide an overview of such food allergy-driven neuro-immune interactions, with the aim of emphasising the importance of furthering our understanding of the immune mechanisms underlying IgE-mediated food allergy.

Homeostatic T helper 17 cell responses triggered by complex microbiota are maintained in ex vivo intestinal tissue slices

Segmented filamentous bacteria (SFB) are members of the commensal intestinal microbiome. They are known to contribute to the postnatal maturation of the gut immune system, but also to augment inflammatory conditions in chronic diseases such as Crohn's disease. Living primary tissue slices are ultrathin multicellular sections of the intestine and provide a unique opportunity to analyze tissue-specific immune responses ex vivo. This study aimed to investigate whether supplementation of the gut flora with SFB promotes T helper 17 (Th17) cell responses in primary intestinal tissue slices ex vivo. Primary tissue slices were prepared from the small intestine of healthy Taconic mice with SFB-positive and SFB-negative microbiomes and stimulated with anti-CD3/CD28 or Concanavalin A. SFB-positive and -negative mice exhibited distinct microbiome compositions and Th17 cell frequencies in the intestine and complex microbiota including SFB induced up to 15-fold increase in Th17 cell-associated mediators, serum amyloid A (SAA), and immunoglobulin A (IgA) responses ex vivo. This phenotype could be transmitted by co-housing of mice. Our findings highlight that changes in the gut microbiome can be observed in primary intestinal tissue slices ex vivo. This makes the system very attractive for disease modeling and assessment of new therapies.

Insights into the Characteristics and Functions of Mast Cells in the Gut

Mast cells have vital functions in allergic responses and parasite ejection, while the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Meanwhile, MCs are essential for the maintenance of GI barrier function, and their interactions with neurons, immune cells, and epithelial cells have been related to various gastrointestinal (GI) disorders. An increasing number of investigations are being disclosed, with a lack of inner connections among them. This review aims to highlight their properties and categorization and further delve into their participation in GI diseases via interplay with neurons and immune cells. We also discuss their roles in diseases like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Based on the evidence, we advocated for their potential application in clinical practices and advocated future research prospects.

An update on recent developments and highlights in food allergy

While both the incidence and general awareness of food allergies is increasing, the variety and clinical availability of therapeutics remain limited. Therefore, investigations into the potential factors contributing to the development of food allergy (FA) and the mechanisms of natural tolerance or induced desensitization are required. In addition, a detailed understanding of the pathophysiology of food allergies is needed to generate compelling, enduring, and safe treatment options. New findings regarding the contribution of barrier function, the effect of emollient interventions, mechanisms of allergen recognition, and the contributions of specific immune cell subsets through rodent models and human clinical studies provide novel insights. With the first approved treatment for peanut allergy, the clinical management of FA is evolving toward less intensive, alternative approaches involving fixed doses, lower maintenance dose targets, coadministration of biologicals, adjuvants, and tolerance-inducing formulations. The ultimate goal is to improve immunotherapy and develop precision-based medicine via risk phenotyping allowing optimal treatment for each food-allergic patient.

Single-cell transcriptomics: A new tool for studying diabetic kidney disease

The kidney is a complex organ comprising various functional partitions and special cell types that play important roles in maintaining homeostasis in the body. Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease and is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Owing to the complexity and heterogeneity of kidney structure and function, the mechanism of DKD development has not been fully elucidated. Single-cell sequencing, including transcriptomics, epigenetics, metabolomics, and proteomics etc., is a powerful technology that enables the analysis of specific cell types and states, specifically expressed genes or pathways, cell differentiation trajectories, intercellular communication, and regulation or co-expression of genes in various diseases. Compared with other omics, RNA sequencing is a more developed technique with higher utilization of tissues or samples. This article reviewed the application of single-cell transcriptomics in the field of DKD and highlighted the key signaling pathways in specific tissues or cell types involved in the occurrence and development of DKD. The comprehensive understanding of single-cell transcriptomics through single-cell RNA-seq and single-nucleus RNA-seq will provide us new insights into the pathogenesis and treatment strategy of various diseases including DKD.