Effect of the Microbiome on Intestinal Innate Immune Development in Early Life and the Potential Strategy of Early Intervention

Abstract

Early life is a vital period for mammals to be colonized with the microbiome, which profoundly influences the development of the intestinal immune function. For neonates to resist pathogen infection and avoid gastrointestinal illness, the intestinal innate immune system is critical. Thus, this review summarizes the development of the intestinal microbiome and the intestinal innate immune barrier, including the intestinal epithelium and immune cells from the fetal to the weaning period. Moreover, the impact of the intestinal microbiome on innate immune development and the two main way of early-life intervention including probiotics and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) also are discussed in this review. We hope to highlight the crosstalk between early microbial colonization and intestinal innate immunity development and offer some information for early intervention.

A comprehensive review on infant formula: nutritional and functional constituents, recent trends in processing and its impact on infants’ gut microbiota

“…The exact role played by specific bacterial genera or families in weight management is still unclear ( 309 , 332 ). Overall, these data imply that prior colonization of the gut microbiota is crucial, and it may influence neonatal growth trajectories ( 333 ). Moreover, the disruption in gut microbiota (i.e., dysbiosis) has been related to necrotizing enterocolitis and several other chronic illnesses, including inflammatory bowel disease, allergies, obesity, asthma, diabetes, cancer and neurological conditions associated with the gut-brain axis ( 334–336 ).…”

The Impact of Early-Life Cecal Microbiota Transplantation on Social Stress and Injurious Behaviors in Egg-Laying Chickens

“…The current study showed that recipient chickens (6 3 -CMT compared to 7 2 -CMT) had different levels of aggression and related damaging behaviors, which was correlated with the degree of injurious behaviors of donors [ 123 ]. The early postnatal period is a vital window for birds as well as mammals to be colonized with the microbiome [ 213 ], whereby early-life CMT profoundly influences brain development and intestinal microbiota composition and diversity [ 221 ] with a long-lasting impact on gut–brain neural circuit development and its responses to stressful episodes [ 222 , 223 ]. However, inconsistent results of CMT-induced intestinal microbiota modulation have been reported across studies.…”

Treatment of preterm brain injury via gut‐microbiota–metabolite–brain axis

“…Probiotic therapy administers to the subject active microorganisms that benefit the host's well‐being, and its effects are highly strain‐specific 86 . Prophylactic probiotics usage is recommended to support the development of healthy GM, suppress the colonization of potentially pathogenic bacteria, and inhibit opportunistic pathogen overgrowth without altering the overall longitudinal bacterial profile in the neonatal period 87,88 . Recent studies suggest that the early microbial colonization affects brain development in preterm infants and microbiome optimization improves neurodevelopmental outcomes 89,90 .…”

“… 86 Prophylactic probiotics usage is recommended to support the development of healthy GM, suppress the colonization of potentially pathogenic bacteria, and inhibit opportunistic pathogen overgrowth without altering the overall longitudinal bacterial profile in the neonatal period. 87 , 88 Recent studies suggest that the early microbial colonization affects brain development in preterm infants and microbiome optimization improves neurodevelopmental outcomes. 89 , 90 This anticipates probiotic interventions for improving neurodevelopment, although their safety remains controversial.…”