The Human Respiratory Microbiome: Current Understandings and Future Directions

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary Medicine
• Microbiology
• Genomics

Background:

• The human respiratory tract, once thought sterile, is colonized by diverse microbial communities (bacteriome, virome, mycobiome).
• The respiratory microbiome is increasingly recognized for its role in pulmonary health and disease.
• Understanding these microbial communities is crucial for advancing pulmonary medicine.

Approach:

• Leverages recent advances in amplicon and shotgun metagenomic sequencing technologies.
• Employs sophisticated data-analyzing methods for microbial population identification and characterization.
• Reviews existing literature and conducts a systematic review of the lower airway microbiome.

Key Points:

• Focuses on the lung microbiome's involvement in asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis (CF), and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).
• Evaluates the influence of gut, oral, and upper airway microbiomes on the lower airway flora.
• Provides an updated systematic review of the lower airway microbiome in both healthy and diseased states.

Conclusions:

• The respiratory microbiome is a significant factor in lung health and disease pathogenesis.
• Further research into the lung microbiome offers promising avenues for novel therapeutic strategies.
• Interdisciplinary approaches combining microbiology, genomics, and clinical medicine are essential for future progress.