Antibiotics damage the colonic mucus barrier

The importance of antibiotics in treating bacterial infections cannot be overstated; however, their use should be carefully prescribed. In an article published in Science Advances, Dr. Shai Bel and colleagues show that even short-term antibiotic use may increase the risk of developing inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs). The researchers found that antibiotics damage the mucus layer in the colon, a barrier that normally prevents bacteria from reaching the gut lining. Experiments in germ-free mice revealed that antibiotics trigger endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in the colon, which inhibits mucus secretion in a microbiota-independent manner. In a mouse model of IBD, this impaired mucus production allowed bacteria to penetrate the mucus layer and release microbial antigens into the bloodstream, leading to ulcerations. Notably, a treatment that reduces ER stress restored the mucus barrier. These findings suggest that antibiotics may directly compromise the gut’s protective lining, raising the risk of gut-related diseases such as IBD.