"Our model defines a novel aspect of human GALT development and demonstrates the stepwise process of the intestinal immune system response," said Paul Denton, PhD, research instructor at UNC and ...

In mice where human GALT developed, additional studies revealed that the human GALT facilitated intestinal immune function, including the production of antibodies specifically found in the human gut.

The capacity of iNKT cells to produce interleukin-4 (IL-4) and IL-10 in the GALT was associated with less immune activation and lower markers of microbial translocation, whereas regulatory T cell ...

Now, researchers at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine have identified the structures that serve as the foundation for the development of the human intestinal immune system.