Potential Of Microbiome Research In Respiratory Diseases

Abstract

The globalization has made world flat, at least, as far as epidemiological profiles are concerned. A revolution is occurring in the way we understand health and disease; the spotlight is now on microbiota: commensal organisms that are an integral part of the human body. The lung microbiome, like that of other compartments, may be potentially manipulated with an aim to correct dysbiosis and restore “healthy” microbial communities via use of probiotics (extrinsic microbes administered in the interest of health), prebiotics (non-absorbed molecules that promote specific bacterial growth), antibiotics and quorum-sensing molecule inhibitors1-6. Recent studies have revealed associations of some diseases with an imbalance in the microbial community. The understandings suggest that disease phenotypes are more likely to be a result of complex microbial interactions5. This new paradigm will enable the study of host factors enhancing or inhibiting bacterial growth in health and disease.