The dual role of the microbiome in sepsis: A complex interplay between pathogenicity and protection

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Microbiology
• Genomics

Background:

• Sepsis is an infection-induced syndrome with systemic immune dysregulation.
• Antibiotics are standard but often fail to restore immune function or microbial balance.
• A purely anti-infective approach may be insufficient for comprehensive sepsis management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore microbiome-centered approaches as a complement to conventional sepsis therapy.
• To highlight the role of microbial ecological restoration and host immune recalibration.
• To investigate novel therapeutic strategies integrating immune reprogramming with ecological restoration.

Main Methods:

• Review of current evidence on microbiome's role in sepsis pathogenesis.
• Analysis of recent advancements in single-cell omics, spatial transcriptomics, and metabolomics.
• Conceptual framework for integrating microbiome modulation with immune recalibration.

Main Results:

• The microbiome significantly influences sepsis pathogenesis and immune modulation.
• Microbiome-centered approaches can support microbial ecological restoration and disease tolerance.
• Advanced omics technologies are revealing complex host-microbial interactions.

Conclusions:

• Future sepsis therapy should integrate microbiome modulation with immune recalibration.
• Restoring immune-microbial homeostasis is a promising therapeutic goal beyond simple inflammation suppression.
• Precision microbiome modulation offers new translational pathways for sepsis treatment.