Taming a Runaway Immune System: Auto-immunity and The Microbiome

Presented by Cheryl Burdette, ND | July 23, 2025

Our understanding of immunotolerance and autoimmunity, through gut-based exposure, has grown exponentially over the years. This broadened understanding of gut based immune priming elucidates new targets for immune regulation in autoimmune conditions. As our understanding of the microbiome increases, we can understand the mechanisms that skew and support immune tolerance and T-cell differentiation. A key regulator in many autoimmune conditions includes the interaction between Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a bacterial endotoxin, and Treg cells. Although LPS is ubiquitous to Gram-negative bacteria, and created by several commensal bacterial Genera, immune regulation to LPS also involves the interaction of Gram-positive flora such as Bifidobacter. These interactions will determine programming of naive T-cells and influence the balance of the immune response. We will also look at the wealth of research around other analytes related to autoimmunity such as short chained fatty acids, particular species and interventions to change them. Review of the microbiome and its activity in immune function increases our clinical understanding and management of autoimmune conditions such as Rheumatoid arthritis, and Crohn's Disease, to name a few.

CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction & Speaker Background
01:30 Integrative Medicine Foundations
03:05 Why Stool Testing Matters
04:05 Gut-Immune Connection Explained
06:00 Autoimmunity and Dysbiosis
10:00 Clinical Clues & Gut-Based Inflammation
12:00 Role of Yeast and Immune Pathways
15:20 Pathogens vs. Missing Beneficial Flora
18:00 Oxidative Stress, Toxins, and Immune Shift
21:00 Advanced Stool Testing Methods (GI360)
24:00 Probiotics, IgA, and Systemic Immunity
30:00 Zonulin and Leaky Gut Mechanisms
34:00 Probiotics, SCFAs, and Immune Modulation
40:00 Clinical Strategies for Autoimmune Patients
44:00 Toxins, Metals, and Persistent Permeability
50:00 Short-Chain Fatty Acids and Inflammation
55:00 Key Takeaways and Clinical Approach
59:00 Origins Incubator & Practice Resources
1:02:00 Q&A Session