Menage a trois: regulation of host immunity by enteric neuro-immune-microbiota cross talks

Over the past decade, our understanding of intestinal immunology has been transformed by the realization that the gut microbiota shapes immune development, function and disease susceptibility. Strikingly, the enteric nervous system is now emerging as a cellular hub that sense microbiota-derived signals and rapidly orchestrate immunological outcomes. Here, I discuss recent advances in our understanding of intestinal neuroimmune communications, their modulation by the gut microbiota, and the consequent impact on host immunity, in health and disease.