Role and Mechanisms of Gut Microbiota in Infectious Diseases: Recent Evidence from Animal Models

Area of Science:

• Microbial ecology
• Immunology
• Infectious diseases

Background:

• Antibiotic resistance and adverse effects necessitate new anti-infective strategies.
• The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in regulating immunity and susceptibility to pathogens.
• Conventional therapies face limitations, creating a need for complementary approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review mechanisms by which gut microbes protect against infections.
• To explore the potential of microbiota-targeted interventions.
• To inform the development of novel anti-infective strategies.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of recent findings from animal models.
• Delineation of mechanisms of protection conferred by commensal microbes and metabolites.
• Discussion of translational applications of microbiota-based therapies.

Main Results:

• Commensal microbes protect against enteric and respiratory infections through competitive exclusion, antimicrobial production, barrier reinforcement, and immune modulation.
• Gut-lung axes are involved in orchestrating systemic immunity.
• Microbiota-targeted interventions show promise for enhancing treatment efficacy.

Conclusions:

• The gut microbiota offers a promising avenue for developing next-generation anti-infective strategies.
• Understanding microbial ecology and host immunobiology is key to rational therapeutic design.
• Microbiota-based approaches can augment host defenses and improve patient outcomes in infectious diseases.