preprints.org > engineering > bioengineering > doi: 10.20944/preprints202305.2116.v1

Preprint Review Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Version 1 : Received: 29 May 2023 / Approved: 30 May 2023 / Online: 30 May 2023 (10:40:16 CEST)

The inflammatory bowels diseases (IBD) are autoimmune diseases that deeply impact the patients’ quality of life. The IBD pathogenesis is not yet defined, but evidence demonstrated that the IBD chronic inflammation is related to an impaired intestinal barrier. Traditionally, two actors were considered for their contribution to this disfunction: the gut microbiota and intestinal epithelium. However, a third element, which is the intestinal mucus, should be considered as peer of the epithelium and microbiota. Indeed, mucus represents the biological interface between bacteria and cells, filtering molecules or toxins and preventing bacteria penetration exploiting both structural and compositional properties. The boosting effect of the mucus characterization towards IBD comprehension is far too underestimated, although some mucus-oriented studies are already reported in literature. This work reviews the intestinal barrier features, describing each component of the gut mucosa (i.e., epithelium, microbiota, and mucus) in a mucus-oriented perspective.

dysbiosis; rheology; mucosal barrier; autoimmune; microbiota

Engineering, Bioengineering

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