COHABIT · Consequences of helminth-bacterial interactions

Throughout evolution both intestinal helminths and commensal bacteria have inhabited our intestines. This ""ménage à trois"" situation is likely to have exerted a strong selective pressure on the development of our metabolic and immune systems. Such pressures remain in developing countries, whilst the eradication of helminths in industrialized countries has shifted this evolutionary balance—possibly underlying the increased development of chronic inflammatory diseases. We hypothesize that helminth-bacterial interactions are a key determinant of healthy homeostasis.Preliminary findings from our laboratory indicate that helminth infection of mice alters the abundance and diversity of intestinal bacteria and impacts on the availability of immuno-modulatory metabolites