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The Microbiome and the Respiratory Tract.
Robert P Dickson1, John R Erb-Downward1, Fernando J Martinez2
1Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109;
Annual Review of Physiology
|November 4, 2015
Summary
The healthy lung harbors diverse microbial communities, challenging the long-held belief of lung sterility. This review explores respiratory tract microbes in health and disease, detailing current research methods and findings.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Pulmonology
- Genomics
Background:
- The traditional view of a sterile lung is being challenged by new research.
- The lungs are continuously exposed to microbes from the oropharynx and other sources.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current understanding of lung microbiota in health and disease.
- To describe the topography and population dynamics of the respiratory tract microbiome.
- To survey techniques for studying the respiratory microbiota and discuss associated challenges.
Main Methods:
- Review of current literature on respiratory tract microbiota.
- Discussion of culture-independent techniques (e.g., sequencing) for microbial identification.
- Synthesis of data on lung microbiota in various acute and chronic lung diseases.
Main Results:
- Novel culture-independent techniques reveal diverse microbial communities in the lungs.
- The lung microbiome composition varies in health and is altered in lung diseases.
- Key challenges and controversies in respiratory microbiota research are identified.
Conclusions:
- The lungs are not sterile and harbor a complex microbiome.
- Understanding lung microbiota is crucial for diagnosing and treating lung diseases.
- Further research is needed to address technical challenges and fully elucidate the role of the lung microbiome.
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