Emerging pathogenic links between microbiota and the gut-lung axis
Summary (1 min read)
Introduction
- To its composition and function, termed dysbiosis, in the respiratory tract and the gut have recently been linked to alterations in immune responses and to disease development in the lung.
- An emerging area of intense current interest is the influence of the microbiota (defined here as a microbial community occupying a defined area of activity6) on local and systemic host immunity.
- Many studies have identified the presence of a lung microbiome in health and disease.
- It is clear that bacterial components and metabolites in the gut and lung have the capacity to modulate systemic and local immunity, with specific taxa able to influence the pathogenesis of respiratory diseases such as asthma, COPD and respiratory infections.
- Both the gut and lung are able to influence each other’s immune responses.
Key Points
- The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and respiratory tract, while separate organs, are part of a shared mucosal immune system termed the gut-lung axis.
- The microbiota of the GIT and the respiratory tract are involved in the gut-lung axis, influencing immune responses both locally and at distant sites Current research has identified specific bacterial taxa, their components and metabolites which can influence host immunity.
- With greater knowledge of the gut-lung axis and microbial influences of immunity, great advances have been made in understanding the role of microbiota in respiratory diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and respiratory infection.
- This newfound understanding has created a number of possible therapeutic strategies for the treatment or prevention of acute and chronic respiratory diseases.
- Several technical challenges and unanswered questions remain.
Subject categories
- The microbiota is central for host homeostasis and this affects not only the gut but also other organs, including the lung.
- Hansbro and colleagues explore the role of the microbiota in the gut-lung axis and lung disease.
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Citations
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...The effect is called the “gut-lung axis” (20,21), which may further explain why patients with COVID-19 pneumonia often have digestive symptoms....
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...10, 63, 65, 66 There is broad support for these observations in pulmonary diseases including PH, COPD, and asthma 67, 68 and in type 2 diabetes mellitus where dysbiosis characterized by decreased microbial richness and diversity, altered representation of bacterial metabolic pathways and modifications in the composition of Firmicutes (F) and Bacteroidetes (B)....
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...Although viral infections can change the microbiome, the latter also is involved in adaptive immune responses against respiratory pathogens [187,188], triggering immune reactions of the innate system [189]....
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...The subsequent remodeling results in airway wall thickening, compromised lung function and changes in the lung microbiota (41, 73)....
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References
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Frequently Asked Questions (8)
Q2. What is the role of the microbiome in COPD?
He is currently investigating themanipulation of microbiomes, and utilisation of microbes and microbial products as newtherapies for COPD, including both probiotic and prebiotic interventions in an animal modelof disease.
Q3. What are the funding sources for this work?
The authors are supported by fellowships from the National Health and Medical ResearchCouncil (NHMRC, M.A.C., P.M.H.) of Australia, the Australian Research Council (ARC,P.H.) and the Brawn Foundation, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of Newcastle,and grants from the NHMRC and the Rainbow Foundation (P.M.H.).
Q4. What is the name of the author?
He leads internationallyrecognised research programs in COPD, asthma and bacterial and viral respiratory andreproductive infections, and microbiomes.
Q5. Where was he appointed as a Professor?
He was oneof CSIRO’s five “Capability Platform leaders” (in Transformational Biology) 2007-13,before being appointed Chair in microbial biology and metagenomics, University ofQueensland Diamantina Institute in 2013.
Q6. What are the main findings of the study?
With greater knowledge of the gut-lung axis and microbial influences of immunity,great advances have been made in understanding the role of microbiota in respiratorydiseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and respiratoryinfection.
Q7. What is his role in the gut-lung axis?
He develops and interrogates novel mouse modelsand undertakes clinical studies of these important diseases to further their understanding ofpathogenesis and develop novel therapies.
Q8. What is the role of the gastrointestinal tract and the respiratory tract?
The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and respiratory tract, while separate organs, are part ofa shared mucosal immune system termed the gut-lung axis.