How immune cells in our gut mesentery fight salmonella

by Jenna Kurtzweil, University of Illinois at Chicago

edited by Stephanie Baum, reviewed by Andrew Zinin

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Widely recognized as the face of food poisoning, salmonella bacteria lurk in raw meat and poultry, on pets, and in unpasteurized dairy products. If untreated, extreme cases can lead to full-body infections, like typhoid fever. UIC researcher Kiwook Kim wondered why some salmonella infections remain in the intestine, causing uncomfortable but nonfatal symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea, while others evolve into life-threatening infections.

In a new study, he and his team found that immune cells in a portion of the abdominal cavity called the mesentery play a critical role in suppressing—or exacerbating—salmonella infection. The study appears in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.

The mesentery is a 6-foot (1.8-meter), spiral-shaped organ curled up at the back of the abdominal cavity. It's physically linked to the liver, spleen, pancreas and intestines.

"Although the gut mesentery anatomically connects to small and large intestines, its exact function is mysterious," said Kim, a professor of pharmacology and regenerative medicine in the College of Medicine. "Researchers believe it structurally supports our internal organs, with which it shares blood vessels, lymph nodes and nerves."

Many types of immune cells reside within the gut mesentery. Macrophages, immune cells that live in tissues and are found throughout the body, find and remove germs and damaged or sick cells. Monocytes, similar in function, circulate in the bloodstream and attend to infected areas when needed.

In a series of tests conducted in mice, the researchers found that interactions between macrophages and monocytes in the mesentery helped stop salmonella infection from spreading throughout the body.

Further, the researchers noticed that when the mesentery's resident macrophages were removed during salmonella infection, monocytes from the bloodstream flooded the organ. This suggested to the researchers that macrophages help mediate the presence of monocytes in the mesentery, kind of like bouncers in a nightclub: Too many immune cells can damage the tissue, so only a regulated amount can pass through the velvet rope.

"Understanding the relationship between macrophages and monocytes in this portion of the gut can help us manipulate immune cells and develop therapies to treat gastrointestinal infections," Kim said.

Publication details

Jiseon Kim et al, Mesenteric macrophage-monocyte circuit controls systemic inflammation during enteric bacterial infection, Journal of Experimental Medicine (2026). DOI: 10.1084/jem.20251492

Journal information: Journal of Experimental Medicine

Key medical concepts

Salmonella InfectionsMacrophagesMonocytes

Clinical categories

Infectious diseasesAllergy and immunologyGastroenterologyCommon illnesses & Prevention Provided by University of Illinois at Chicago Who's behind this story?

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