The innate immune receptor NLRP12 maintains intestinal homeostasis by regulating microbiome diversity

Inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)is on the rise in the western world.1 The dynamic interplay between genetic susceptibility,the gut microbiome and host inflammatory reactions underlying IBD are still unclear.Shedding light onto these complex interactions in IBD,Chen et al.2 identified a key role for the negative immune regulator NLRP12 in shaping the composition of the gut microbiome and maintaining intestinal homeostasis.This finding,published in the most recent issue of Nature Immunology,2 can advance the development of much needed microbiome-based therapies for IBD patients.