The microbiome-immune-host defense barrier complex (microimmunosome) and developmental programming of noncommunicable diseases

- The microimmunosome is introduced as a systems biology unit for DOHaD-driven NCDs.
- The microbiome, host barriers, and the immune system comprise the microimmunosome.
- Inter-regulation within the microimmunosome affects tolerance and self integrity.
- Specialized immune cells contribute to risk of misregulated inflammation.
- Six developmental windows of vulnerability are described for the microimmunosome.

Through its role as gatekeeper and filter to the external world, the microbiome affects developmental programming of physiological systems including the immune system. In turn, the immune system must tolerate, personalize, and prune the microbiome. Immune and host barrier status in early life significantly effects everything from embryo viability and pregnancy duration to the likelihood of misregulated inflammation, and risk of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Since the programming of and interactions among the microbiome, the host defense barrier, and the immune system can affect inflammation-driven health risks across the lifespan, a systems biology-type understanding of these three biological components may be useful. Here, I consider the potential utility of focusing on programming of a newly-defined systems biology unit termed the “microimmunosome.”