The human gut microbiome in enteric infections: from association to translation

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Immunology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Enteric infections cause significant global morbidity, mortality, and economic loss, exacerbated by antimicrobial resistance.
• The gut microbiome plays a dual role, mediating susceptibility and severity, but also potentially facilitating infection.
• Mechanisms include colonization resistance, resource competition, immune modulation, cross-feeding, and horizontal gene transfer.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize evidence on microbiome-pathogen interactions in enteric infections.
• To outline factors modifying disease risk across the lifespan.
• To evaluate current clinical applications and identify research gaps.

Main Methods:

• Review of correlative and mechanistic evidence on microbiome-pathogen interactions.
• Analysis of host, environmental, and socioeconomic modifiers of enteric infection risk.
• Evaluation of existing clinical applications and limitations in the field.

Main Results:

• The gut microbiome significantly impacts susceptibility, pathogen expansion, and disease severity in enteric infections.
• Host, environmental, and socioeconomic factors modulate enteric infection risk throughout life.
• Current clinical applications are limited, with key knowledge gaps remaining.

Conclusions:

• Further research is needed to refine causal models of microbiome-pathogen ecology.
• Targeted diagnostics and therapeutics for enteric infections require a deeper understanding of these complex interactions.
• Addressing antimicrobial resistance in enteric infections necessitates microbiome-focused strategies.