Sweet! Helicobacter Sugar Calms Intestinal Macrophages

In the absence of IL-10, Helicobacter hepaticus (Hh) induces colitis. In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Danne et al. (2017) report that Hh produces a polysaccharide that induces an anti-inflammatory response in macrophages, providing a potential clue as to why this bacterium is normally tolerated by the immune system. In the absence of IL-10, Helicobacter hepaticus (Hh) induces colitis. In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Danne et al. (2017) report that Hh produces a polysaccharide that induces an anti-inflammatory response in macrophages, providing a potential clue as to why this bacterium is normally tolerated by the immune system.