Your gastrointestinal tract is home to trillions of bacteria. This microbiome contains more 1000 different species of microbes. Scientists have long suspected that fungi also take up residence in our digestive tracts. A new analysis of DNA suggests that there are over 100 different kinds of fungi in the gut and some species may be contributing to serious intestinal disorders. Researchers at Cedars-Sinai have linked an immune system protein to ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. They suspect that the body uses this protein to kill fungi, but in the process can set off an inflammatory cascade that can cause significant damage to the GI tract.
