Submitted on July 28, 2006
Accepted on September 6, 2006
Immune responses to flagellin in Crohn's disease: Good, bad, or irrelevant?
Andrew T. Gewirtz1*
1 Pathology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: agewirt{at}emory.edu.
Recent observations suggest that bacterial flagellin may be a target of the seemingly aberrant innate and adaptive immune responses that are associated with Crohn's disease (CD). This article discusses the evidence that supports a role for flagellin in CD and considers the potential roles of these responses in the pathophysiology of this disorder.
