Gut bacteria have been linked to a range of diseases, including autoimmune conditions characterised by immune system attack of healthy tissue. To shed light on this link, a Yale research team focused on Enterococcus gallinarum, a bacterium they discovered is able to spontaneously “translocate” outside of the gut to lymph nodes, the liver, and spleen. The researchers found that the autoimmune reaction can be suppressed with an antibiotic or vaccine designed to target the bacteria. This research supports the principle of using therapeutic vaccines to treat autoimmune diseases that are associated with (or possibly caused by) bacterial infections.