The gut–liver axis represents a critical communication pathway that is disrupted in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), where compromised intestinal barrier integrity facilitates gut microbiota translocation to the liver, through the portal vein. Among these microbes, bacteriophages (phages) constitute the most abundant viral population. Our team has shown that phages can translocate across the intestinal barrier (Douadi et al., 2024). However, their impact on liver physiology remains unknown. This study investigates the mechanisms of phage endocytosis in hepatic epithelial cells and their impact on cell physiology.
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