Lactic acid bacteria as probiotics for the nose?

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Immunology
• Probiotics Research

Background:

• Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are increasingly prevalent in the healthy upper respiratory tract (URT) compared to diseased states.
• Specific LAB species like Lacticaseibacillus casei, Lactococcus lactis, and Dolosigranulum pigrum show potential for URT health.
• LAB have a history of safe use as probiotics in other body sites, prompting exploration for URT applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the significance of LAB in the respiratory tract.
• To explore the potential of LAB as topical probiotics for URT diseases.
• To identify necessary probiotic properties and adaptation factors for URT colonization and efficacy.

Main Methods:

• Literature review focusing on LAB in the URT.
• Analysis of potential probiotic properties and adaptation mechanisms for respiratory tract environments.
• Discussion of in silico, in vitro, and in vivo models for evaluating URT probiotics.
• Examination of clinical evidence for probiotics in common URT diseases like chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS).

Main Results:

• LAB, particularly Lactobacillales, are associated with healthy URT microbiota.
• LAB possess physiological functions and a safety profile suitable for probiotic development.
• Optimal strain selection requires understanding adaptation factors and efficacy through various research models.

Conclusions:

• LAB show promise as topical probiotics for the upper respiratory tract.
• Further research using diverse models is crucial to identify suitable strains for URT diseases.
• Robust clinical evidence is still needed to substantiate the efficacy of oral or topical probiotics for conditions like chronic rhinosinusitis.