Current Understanding of Probiotic Strains and Immune Function: From Gut Microbiota to Systemic Immunity
4 affiliations
- 1Department of Allergology, Clinical Immunology and Internal Diseases, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, 85-067 Bydgoszcz, Poland
- 2Department of Psychology, Kazimierz Wielki University, 85-867 Bydgoszcz, Poland
- 3Student Research Club of Clinical Immunology, Department of Allergology, Clinical Immunology and Internal Diseases, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, 85-067 Bydgoszcz, Poland
- 4Katedra Pediatrii, Hematologii, Onkologii, Immunologii I Transplantologii Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, 85-067 Bydgoszcz, Poland
Abstract
Growing evidence indicates that the gut microbiota is a central regulator of systemic immunity, acting through epithelial barrier integrity, microbial metabolites, and bidirectional signaling with innate and adaptive immune cells. Within this framework, probiotics have attracted substantial interest as tools for immune modulation; however, their effects are not uniform and should not be generalized across species or formulations. This review synthesizes current evidence on the gut microbiota-immune axis and examines how defined probiotic strains influence immune homeostasis, inflammation, and clinical outcomes. Particular emphasis is placed on strain-specific effects among lactic acid bacteria, bifidobacteria, yeast probiotics, and emerging nontraditional candidates, with attention to mechanisms involving cytokine signaling, regulatory T-cell induction, nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) modulation, toll-like receptor (TLR) pathways, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), tryptophan metabolites, and bile-acid-dependent signaling. The available literature indicates that the most meaningful immunological effects arise from precisely characterized strains acting in specific host contexts, whereas inconsistent trial design, small sample sizes, variable dosing, and poor strain resolution continue to limit translation. Overall, current data support a shift from generic probiotic use toward mechanism-based, strain-specific, and increasingly personalized strategies for immune modulation.
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BibTeX
@article{szota2026current,
title = {{Current Understanding of Probiotic Strains and Immune Function: From Gut Microbiota to Systemic Immunity}},
author = {Maciej Szota and Katarzyna Napiórkowska-Baran and Aleksandra Wojtkiewicz and Lidia Wydeheft and Adam Wawrzeńczyk and Józef Sławatycki and Paweł Treichel and Ewa Alska and Barbara Zyśk and Krzysztof Pałgan},
journal = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences},
year = {2026},
month = may,
doi = {10.3390/ijms27104527},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27104527},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Current Understanding of Probiotic Strains and Immune Function: From Gut Microbiota to Systemic Immunity
AU - Maciej Szota
AU - Katarzyna Napiórkowska-Baran
AU - Aleksandra Wojtkiewicz
AU - Lidia Wydeheft
AU - Adam Wawrzeńczyk
AU - Józef Sławatycki
AU - Paweł Treichel
AU - Ewa Alska
AU - Barbara Zyśk
AU - Krzysztof Pałgan
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/05/18
JO - International Journal of Molecular Sciences
DO - 10.3390/ijms27104527
UR - https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27104527
AB - Growing evidence indicates that the gut microbiota is a central regulator of systemic immunity, acting through epithelial barrier integrity, microbial metabolites, and bidirectional signaling with innate and adaptive immune cells. Within this framework, probiotics have attracted substantial interest as tools for immune modulation; however, their effects are not uniform and should not be generalized across species or formulations. This review synthesizes current evidence on the gut microbiota-immune axis and examines how defined probiotic strains influence immune homeostasis, inflammation, and clinical outcomes. Particular emphasis is placed on strain-specific effects among lactic acid bacteria, bifidobacteria, yeast probiotics, and emerging nontraditional candidates, with attention to mechanisms involving cytokine signaling, regulatory T-cell induction, nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) modulation, toll-like receptor (TLR) pathways, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), tryptophan metabolites, and bile-acid-dependent signaling. The available literature indicates that the most meaningful immunological effects arise from precisely characterized strains acting in specific host contexts, whereas inconsistent trial design, small sample sizes, variable dosing, and poor strain resolution continue to limit translation. Overall, current data support a shift from generic probiotic use toward mechanism-based, strain-specific, and increasingly personalized strategies for immune modulation.
SN - 1422-0067
SN - 1661-6596
ER -