Mechanism for maintaining homeostasis in the immune system of the intestine.

Every organism possesses a mechanism for maintaining homeostasis. We have focused on the immune system as a system that helps maintain homeostasis of the body, and particularly on the intestine as the largest organ of immunity in the body. We have also focused our research on the mechanism that responds to foreign substances in the intestine, especially the toll-like receptors (TLR). The activation of myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 (MyD88) signal transduction as a response to TLR in the intestine is believed to contribute to the maintenance of homeostasis of the body through the homeostasis of the intestine. Furthermore, significant findings were reported in which signal transduction from TLR4 was essential for the maintenance and regulation of the intestine. These results strongly suggest the possibility that homeostasis in the intestine is maintained by TLR4, and signaling by TLR4 after exposure to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) probably has a role in regulating homeostasis. It is expected that the prevention and treatment of various diseases using TLR4 will continue to develop. As LPS is a substance that enhances the activity of TLR4, it will also attract attention as a valuable substance in its own right.