Gut Bacterial Bouncers: Keeping Viral Pathogens out of the Epithelium (Cell Host & Microbe)

Intestinal pathogens encounter the microbiota as they seek their host target, potentially impacting the infection. In a recent Cell paper, Shi et al. show that unique segmented filamentous bacteria prevent rotavirus from infecting the intestinal epithelium. Proposed mechanisms include direct effects on the virus and stimulation of epithelial proliferation.