Gut microbiota and allergy/asthma: From pathogenesis to new therapeutic strategies

Asthma and atopy, classically associated with hyper-activation of the T helper 2 (Th2) arm of adaptive immunity, are among the most common chronic illnesses worldwide. Emerging evidence relates atopy and asthma to the composition and function of gut microbiota composition. Moreover, certain gut microbial strains have been shown to inhibit or attenuate immune responses associated with chronic inflammation in experimental models. Although still a relatively nascent field of research, evidence to date suggests that the gut microbiome may represent fertile targets for prevention or management of allergic asthma and other diseases in which adaptive immune dysfunction is a prominent feature. The oral probiotics/prebiotic represents a possible therapeutic for improving asthma and allergic disease. Especially, recent technological developments that permit identification of microbes and their products using culture-independent molecular detection techniques. In this review, we literaturely summarise the aggravation or improvement of metabolic diseases by role of gut microbiota, probiotics/prebiotic treatment.