The gut mucosal immune response to Toxoplasma gondii.

As an orally acquired pathogen, the immune response to Toxoplasma gondii unfolds in the small intestinal mucosa. There, an array of regulatory and effector immune cells are elicited to combat the parasite through secretion of inflammatory mediators, normally resulting in host protection and pathogen control. Recent studies largely in mice have found that a productive immune response requires the combined recognition of parasite- and commensal-derived antigens by mucosal leucocytes. However, despite the fine-tuned regulatory mechanisms in place to prevent immunopathology, dysregulated responses can occur in genetically susceptible subjects, leading to lethal pro-inflammatory-mediated intestinal damage. Here, we describe the current understanding of the inflammatory players involved in orchestrating immunity or immunopathology in the intestine during the mucosal response to Toxoplasma infection.