Inflammation for growth

摘要

Infection often leads to inflammatory immune responses; no surprises there. It has long been speculated, however, that the ability to induce intestinal inflammatory responses favours pathogen growth. Most hypotheses on how this might occur have centred on nutrient release through tissue damage or on the intestinal epithelial cells secreting macromolecules, such as extracellular matrix proteins, that can be used as nutrient sources. But the underlying molecular mechanisms of inflammation-induced nutrient availability for pathogens have remained largely elusive.