• Intestinal microbiota metabolites (SCFAs, bile acids, tryptophan derivatives) critically modulate dendritic cell (DC) development and function, balancing immune tolerance and inflammation.
• DCs exhibit high plasticity in response to microbial cues, with dysbiosis driving aberrant DC activation and contributing to inflammatory bowel disease and other intestinal disorders.
• Metabolic, epigenetic, and signaling reprogramming are key mechanisms by which microbial metabolites shape DC fate and function.
• Targeting the microbiota-DC metabolic axis offers promising therapeutic strategies for shifting harmful intestinal inflammation toward homeostatic tolerance.