Figure 1.
The mucosal defense system: the intestinal epithelium lines the mucosal surface of the intestinal tract and is a key player in intestinal homeostasis. It provides the first line of immune defense against pathogens and a mechanism for proper processing of food antigens. Recent reports have identified a crucial role for IL-22/STAT3 signaling in the regulation of both gut inflammation and epithelial barrier integrity, which may provide a promising therapeutic approach to the treatment of IBDs, as well as other intestinal disorders (redrawn from Fig. 4 in Ref.22). IL, interleukin; STAT3, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3.