Fungi that live in the gut influence health and disease

Bacteria's role in gut health has received attention in recent years. But new research shows that fungi -- another microorganism that lives within us -- may be equally important in health and disease. Fungi thrive in the healthy gut, but when interactions with the immune system are off-balance, they cause intestinal damage that may contribute to gastrointestinal disease. Additional investigation demonstrate that vaccines could be developed as therapeutics to improve gut health.