Exploring the crosstalk between gut microbiota and macrophages: investigating the macrophage functional response

Studies have identified an evident correlation between the gut microbiota and inflammatory processes. Macrophages play a key role in immune responses and are characterized by phagocytic ability and functional plasticity. In the intestinal environment, they contribute to maintaining the homeostasis. Furthermore, they are responsive to specific changes in the tissue microenvironment. Alterations in the gut microbiota have shown to contribute to inflammation. For this reason, since macrophages are highly exposed and sensitive to the microbiota, their interplay is worth investigating. On this ground, this thesis project aims at defining the functional profile, in terms of gene expression and phagocytic capacity, of wild type (WT) macrophages when exposed to fecal microbiota from eight weeks old mice and CD300e knock out mice.