Aspects of gut microbiota and immune system interactions in infectious diseases, immunopathology, and cancer

This 2018 article examines the role of the gut microbiota in immunity. While the microbiota is formed by the multispecies community of bacteria, fungi, archaea, and protozoans, the microbiota of the gut is the most complex of all non-sterile cavities. The microbial community in the intestines greatly influences host homeostasis (the balancing of self-regulated processes necessary for survival) and immunostasis (maintenance of immune system steady state). The gut microbiota is thus essential in the maintenance of the health condition. This review discusses the possible implications of losing the balance of the gut microbiota on health. Dysbiosis may be linked with host susceptibility to infections, hypersensitivity reactions, autoimmunity (system of immune responses against own healthy cells), chronic inflammation, and cancer. This review also covers the roles of both diet and antibiotics in the incidence of dysbiosis and its disease-related consequences, and the potential use of probiotics to achieve eubiosis (the optimal balance of microbes in the gastrointestinal tract). [NPID: immune system, immunity, microbiota, bacteria, gut, fungi, health, infections, inflammation, cancer, autoimmunity, diet, immunity]

Year: 2018

Reference: Lazar, V., Ditu, L. M., Pircalabioru, G. G., Gheorghe, I., Curutiu, C., Holban, A. M., Picu, A., Petcu, L., & Chifiriuc, M. C. (2018). Aspects of Gut Microbiota and Immune System Interactions in Infectious Diseases, Immunopathology, and Cancer. Frontiers in immunology, 9, 1830. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2018.01830

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