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Defending the epithelium

Nature Medicine volume 12, pages 607–608 (2006)Cite this article

Two studies examine the microbe-fighting peptides that keep infection at bay in the urinary tract and the colon. In the urinary tract, such peptides are deployed with lightning speed, and in the colon a short-chain fatty acid induces the peptides and fends off dysentery caused by Shigella species (pages 636 – 641).

Rarely do we appreciate how remarkable it is that we can exist harmoniously with the microbes around us. For example, consider the urinary tract and the colon. Infections of the urinary tract are far less common than might be imagined, considering that the tract empties close to the rectum. The epithelial lining of the urinary tract is believed to be free of colonization, except at the urethral entrance, and urine itself is normally sterile. How does this come about?

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Figure 1: Cathelicidins defend the kidney from bacteria.

Katie Ris

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  1. Departments of Surgery and Pediatrics, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, 20007, DC, USA

    Michael Zasloff

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  1. Michael Zasloff
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Zasloff, M. Defending the epithelium. Nat Med 12, 607–608 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm0606-607

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