Host-microbe cross-talk in the lung microenvironment: implications for understanding and treating chronic lung disease

Abstract

Chronic respiratory diseases are highly prevalent worldwide and will continue to rise in the foreseeable future. Despite intensive efforts over the recent decades, the development of novel and effective therapeutic approaches has been slow. There is however new and increasing evidence that communities of microorganisms in our body, the human microbiome, are crucially involved in the development and progression of chronic respiratory diseases. Understanding the detailed mechanisms underlying this cross-talk between host and microbiota is critical for development of microbiome- or host-targeted therapeutics and prevention strategies. Here we review and discuss the most recent knowledge on the continuous reciprocal interaction between the host and microbes in health and respiratory disease. Furthermore, we highlight promising developments in microbiome-based therapies and discuss the need to employ more holistic approaches of restoring both the pulmonary niche and the microbial community.

A sneak peek into the Early Career Members’ session at the ERS International Congress and the experience of organising an ERS Research Seminar

“…In my opinion, it really helped with being seen as an equal member of the scientific community and not just as “some postdoc”. After the conference, we wrote a joint review article about the most important insights from this seminar [ 1 ]. Additionally, we were able to organise a scientific symposium at the ERS International Congress in Paris (2018) to reconvene the research seminar and we have established a research topic at the journal Frontiers of Medicine .…”

Respiratory syncytial virus and airway microbiota -- A complex interplay and its reflection on morbidity

“…They exhibit a gradient of bacterial load that is relatively high in the nasopharynx and substantially diminished in the lower respiratory tract [1]. A growing body of literature has demonstrated that the nasopharyngeal microbiome, with its mixed microbial communities, plays an important role in maturation and homeostasis of the host immune response in the upper and lower airways [1,4,5]. The balanced competitive/synergistic interplay between commensal and potentially pathogenic taxa, that is the hallmark of a healthy status, can be altered by acquisition of new pathogenic bacteria, increased virulence or prevalence of potential pathogens, and/or decreased efficiency of host defenses, the latter being the cause but also the result of dysbiosis [1,4,6].…”

“…The mechanisms accounting for the wide variability in the clinical presentation of RSV infection are only partly understood, but recent insights suggest that modifications of the nasopharyngeal microbiota composition established or induced by a previous infection might be involved. In early life, the baseline system structure and function of the airway immunity is regulated by the local microbial milieu, and distinct microbiota have been associated with sequelae of specific viral and bacterial LRTI [4][5][6]. Recent insights suggest that modifications of the nasopharyngeal microbiota composition, established by a preceding infection, might be involved.…”

“…Recent insights suggest that modifications of the nasopharyngeal microbiota composition, established by a preceding infection, might be involved. Whether imbalance in the microbial community can drive disease pathogenesis or, conversely, reflects disease-induced alterations of the local milieu following respiratory infections is still to be elucidated [5,6]. A paradigmatic example is represented by the bidirectional interplay between resident nasopharyngeal bacterial communities and RSV in bronchiolitis.…”

Dysbiosis in Pediatrics Is Associated with Respiratory Infections: Is There a Place for Bacterial-Derived Products?

“…In detail, a growing body of literature has demonstrated that the nasopharyngeal microbiota plays an important role in maturation and homeostasis of the host immune response in both the upper and lower airways. The balanced competitive/synergistic interplay between commensal and potentially pathogenic taxa, which is the hallmark of a healthy status, can be altered by the acquisition of new pathogenic virus and bacteria, increased virulence or prevalence of potential pathogens and/or decreased efficiency of host defenses, which can be the cause but also the effect of altered microbial communities [38][39][40][41]. As well as the gut, the airways harbor bacterial communities whose composition, richness and relative abundance can diverge from what is considered a "healthy status."…”