Immune regulation and monitoring at the epithelial surface of the intestine

► Intestinal epithelial cells establish physical and biological barrier to prevent microbial invasion. ► Epithelial cells interact with immunocompetent cells through production of immunological molecules and cell-cell interaction. ► Crosstalk between epithelial cells and gut environmental factors (e.g. commensal bacteria and dietary materials) regulate immunological function in the intestine. ► Disorder of epithelial function leads to the development of infectious and immune diseases such as allergy and inflammation.