Role reversals: non-canonical roles for immune and non-immune cells in the gut

Abstract

The intestine is home to an intertwined network of epithelial, immune, and neuronal cells as well as the microbiome, with implications for immunity, systemic metabolism, and behavior. While the complexity of this microenvironment has long since been acknowledged, recent technological advances have propelled our understanding to an unprecedented level. Notably, the microbiota and non-immune or structural cells have emerged as important conductors of intestinal immunity, and by contrast, cells of both the innate and adaptive immune systems have demonstrated non-canonical roles in tissue repair and metabolism. This review highlights recent works in the following two streams: non-immune cells of the intestine performing immunological functions; and traditional immune cells exhibiting non-immune functions in the gut.