Viral Safeguard: The Enteric Virome Protects against Gut Inflammation Stephanie M. Karst  Immunity  Volume 44, Issue 4, Pages 715-718 (April 2016) DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2016.04.004 Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. Terms and Conditions

Figure 1 A Model to Explain the Protective Role of the Enteric Virome in Preventing Pathologic Intestinal Inflammation In this issue of Immunity, Yang et al. provide data supporting a model whereby the viral component of the intestinal microbiota, composed of a diverse and highly abundant set of prokaryotic and eukaryotic viruses, provides protection from gut inflammation. Key observations supporting this concept are that (1) viral depletion using a novel antiviral cocktail approach resulted in enhanced severity of DSS-induced inflammation; (2) administration of either agonists of the viral pattern recognition receptors TLR3 and TLR7 or inactivated rotavirus suppressed DSS-induced inflammation; and (3) genetic deficiency in TLR3 and TLR7 increased the severity of DSS-induced inflammation in mice as well as the severity of IBD in people. They further demonstrate that DSS-primed plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC) failed to produce IFN-β in the absence of TLR3 and TLR7, providing possible mechanistic insight into the protective role of the virome. Immunity 2016 44, 715-718DOI: (10.1016/j.immuni.2016.04.004) Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. Terms and Conditions