Nerve-gut axis found to regulate intestinal barrier, lowering allergy risk
Key takeaways
- Researchers have pinpointed a nerve-gut axis that helps regulate the intestinal barrier, with disruptions in this system linked to increased allergy risk.
- The intestinal nervous system communicates with stem cells using VIP to prevent excess tuft cell growth, which can trigger allergy-like immune responses.
- The findings open the door to new therapeutic strategies targeting the nerve-gut axis for allergies — potentially influenced by diet and microbiome composition.
A new study has discovered that the intestinal nervous system regulates the intestinal barrier, which, when disrupted, can lead to allergies.
International researchers point out that this “gut brain” is vital for digestion and maintaining barrier integrity. The system releases the vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), a molecule that controls stem cell development in the intestinal wall.
Without VIP, tuft cells can overgrow, which triggers similar responses to allergens. These cells are found in the epithelial lining of the intestines and monitor the environment in the organ.
The study in Nature Immunology highlights the importance of the intestinal nervous system for immune regulation, which can open paths for therapies in allergies and chronic gut diseases influenced by diet.
Intestinal nervous system: A central health hub
Lead researchers from Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, and Bern, Germany, explain that the intestinal nervous system is made up of mucosa, immune cells, and the microbiome, which protects the gut from its own contents. The intestinal mucosa also protects against pathogens.
The finding, dubbed a “first,” also reveals that intestinal nerve cells use VIP to communicate directly with intestinal stem cells. It ensures these cells do not grow too fast into tuft cells.
“Our findings show that the intestinal nervous system is a decisive factor in preserving a healthy intestinal mucosa, regulating immune responses, and ultimately maintaining an intact intestinal barrier,” explains study first author Dr. Manuel Jakob from the Department of Visceral Surgery and Medicine at Inselspital, research associate at the Department for BioMedical Research at the University of Bern and scientist at Charité.
“Our ‘gut brain’ is far more than a facilitator of digestion. It acts as a central hub for health, immunity, and potentially for conditions that affect large parts of the population. Interestingly, the results suggest that the effect may be shaped by the diet, i.e., the formulation of the food.”
The study underscores the importance of a healthy gut microbiome and a regulated immune response to prevent disease.
The team plans to study how nutrition could be used to support the nerve-gut axis to support intestinal health.
“The mechanism we have uncovered may help explain why some individuals are particularly sensitive in the gut and how we might intervene more precisely in the future,” explains senior author professor Christoph Klose, head of the Neuroimmune Interaction research group at Charité’s Institute of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Immunology.
“By deepening our understanding of how nerves, cells, and immune responses interact in the gut, we can develop more targeted and personalized therapies — for example, for allergies, irritable bowel syndrome, or chronic inflammatory bowel diseases.”
Related news
In other news on allergies, gut health, and immunity, researchers identified a “disturbing” gut microbiome trend in US infants. Many babies were missing Bifidobacteria, driving allergies, asthma, and eczema.
AB-Biotics and Kaneka Probiotics’ i3.1 probiotic blend was presented to help restore compromised intestinal barrier function in patients with irritable bowel syndrome after lab testing.
