The long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs) promote the production of IFN-γ and IL-17 that can exacerbate acute encephalitis, while short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) exert protection by inducing Forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) expression and thus repressing the differentiation of Th17 subsets implicated in autoimmune reactions [32]. The gene discussed is FOXP3; the disease is viral encephalitis.