scholarly journals The Human Microbiome and Its Impacts on Health

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grace A. Ogunrinola ◽  
John O. Oyewale ◽  
Oyewumi O. Oshamika ◽  
Grace I. Olasehinde

The human microbiome comprises bacteria, archaea, viruses, and eukaryotes which reside within and outside our bodies. These organisms impact human physiology, both in health and in disease, contributing to the enhancement or impairment of metabolic and immune functions. Micro-organisms colonise various sites on and in the human body, where they adapt to specific features of each niche. Facultative anaerobes are more dominant in the gastrointestinal tract, whereas strict aerobes inhabit the respiratory tract, nasal cavity, and skin surface. The indigenous organisms in the human body are well adapted to the immune system, due to the biological interaction of the organisms with the immune system over time. An alteration in the intestinal microbial community plays a major role in human health and disease pathogenesis. These alterations result from lifestyle and the presence of an underlying disease. Dysbiosis increases host susceptibility to infection, and the nature of which depends on the anatomical site involved. The unique diversity of the human microbiota accounts for the specific metabolic activities and functions of these micro-organisms within each body site. It is therefore important to understand the microbial composition and activities of the human microbiome as they contribute to health and disease.

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 699
Author(s):  
Cielo García-Montero ◽  
Oscar Fraile-Martínez ◽  
Ana M. Gómez-Lahoz ◽  
Leonel Pekarek ◽  
Alejandro J. Castellanos ◽  
...  

The most prevalent diseases of our time, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) (including obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and some types of cancer) are rising worldwide. All of them share the condition of an “inflammatory disorder”, with impaired immune functions frequently caused or accompanied by alterations in gut microbiota. These multifactorial maladies also have in common malnutrition related to physiopathology. In this context, diet is the greatest modulator of immune system–microbiota crosstalk, and much interest, and new challenges, are arising in the area of precision nutrition as a way towards treatment and prevention. It is a fact that the westernized diet (WD) is partly responsible for the increased prevalence of NCDs, negatively affecting both gut microbiota and the immune system. Conversely, other nutritional approaches, such as Mediterranean diet (MD), positively influence immune system and gut microbiota, and is proposed not only as a potential tool in the clinical management of different disease conditions, but also for prevention and health promotion globally. Thus, the purpose of this review is to determine the regulatory role of nutritional components of WD and MD in the gut microbiota and immune system interplay, in order to understand, and create awareness of, the influence of diet over both key components.


Author(s):  
Mariana Fernández ◽  
Iris Reina-Pérez ◽  
Juan Astorga ◽  
Andrea Rodríguez-Carrillo ◽  
Julio Plaza-Díaz ◽  
...  

The microorganisms that live symbiotically in human beings are increasingly recognized as important players in health and disease. The largest collection of these microorganisms is found in the gastrointestinal tract. Microbial composition reflects both genetic and lifestyle variables of the host. This microbiota is in a dynamic balance with the host, exerting local and distant effects. Microbial perturbation (dysbiosis) could contribute to the risk of developing health problems. Various bacterial genes capable of producing estrogen-metabolizing enzymes have been identified. Accordingly, gut microbiota is capable of modulating estrogen serum levels. Conversely, estrogen-like compounds may promote the proliferation of certain species of bacteria. Therefore, a crosstalk between microbiota and both endogenous hormones and estrogen-like compounds might synergize to provide protection from disease but also to increase the risk of developing hormone-related diseases. Recent research suggests that the microbiota of women with breast cancer differs from that of healthy women, indicating that certain bacteria may be associated with cancer development and with different responses to therapy. In this review, we discuss recent knowledge about the microbiome and breast cancer, identifying specific characteristics of the human microbiome that may serve to develop novel approaches for risk assessment, prevention and treatment for this disease.


2021 ◽  
Vol 162 (19) ◽  
pp. 731-740
Author(s):  
Vilmos Fülöp ◽  
János Demeter ◽  
Áron Cseh

Összefoglaló. A humán mikrobiom az emberi szervezetben és az emberi testfelszínen élő mikrobaközösségek összessége, amelyek többsége a gyomor-bél rendszerben él. Ezek a mikrobaközösségek számos és sokféle baktériumot tartalmaznak, gombákat, vírusokat, archeákat és protozoonokat. Ez a mikrobiális közösség, vagy mikrobiota, a gazdaszervezetben nagyrészt egymással kölcsönösségi viszonyban tenyészik, és gondoskodik a bélben a tápanyagok anyagcseréjéről, kalibrálja az anyagcsere-működést, tanítja az immunrendszert, fenntartja a közösség integritását, és véd a kórokozók ellen. A majdan megszületendő magzat a megfelelő tápanyagellátását az anyai véráramból kapja, és így az anyai szervezetben a mikrobiota indukálta baktériumkomponensek vagy metabolitok hatékonyan átvihetők a magzatba. Az anyai mikrobiális közösségek – ideértve a praenatalis bélrendszeri, hüvelyi, száj- és bőrmikrobiomot – a terhesség alatt valójában kifejezett változásokon mennek keresztül, amelyek befolyásolhatják az egészség megőrzését, és hozzájárulhatnak a közismert betegségek kialakulásához. A magzat nem steril, és immunológiai szempontból sem naiv, hanem az anya révén környezeti ingerek hatásaitól befolyásolva kölcsönhatásba lép az anyai immunrendszerrel. Számos anyai tényező – beleértve a hormonokat, a citokineket és a mikrobiomot – módosíthatja az intrauterin környezetet, ezáltal befolyásolva a magzati immunrendszer fejlődését. A fokozott stresszben élő anyák csecsemőinél nagyobb az allergia és a gyomor-bél rendszeri rendellenességek aránya. A várandós étrendje is befolyásolja a magzati mikrobiomot a méh közvetítésével. A bélflóránk, vagyis a mikrobiom, a belünkben élő mikrobák összessége és szimbiózisa, amelynek kényes egyensúlya már csecsemőkorban kialakul, és döntően meghatározza az intestinalis barrier és a bélasszociált immunrendszer működését. A probiotikumok szaporodásához szükséges prebiotikummal is befolyásolható a bélflóra. A pre- és a probiotikum kombinációja a szimbiotikum. Az anyatej a patogénekkel szemben protektív hatású, részben azáltal, hogy emeli a Bifidobacterium-számot az újszülött bélflórájában. A dysbiosis a kommenzális, egészséges bélflóra megváltozása. Ennek szerepét feltételezik funkcionális gastrointestinalis kórképekben, egyre több pszichiátriai és neurológiai kórképben is, mint az autizmus-spektrumzavar. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(19): 731–740. Summary. The human microbiome is the totality of microbe communities living in the human body and on the human body surface, most of which live in the gastrointestinal tract. These microbe communities contain many and varied bacteria, fungi, viruses, archaea and protozoa. This microbial community or microbiota in the host is largely reciprocal and takes care of nutrient metabolism in the gut, calibrates metabolism, teaches the immune system, maintains community integrity, and protects against pathogens. The fetus to be born is adequately supplied with nutrients from the maternal bloodstream, and thus microbial-induced bacterial components or metabolites can be efficiently transferred to the fetus in the maternal body. Maternal microbial communities, including prenatal intestinal, vaginal, oral, and dermal microbiomes, actually undergo pronounced changes during pregnancy that can affect health maintenance and contribute to the development of well-known diseases. The fetus is not sterile or immunologically naïve, but interacts with the maternal immune system through the effects of environmental stimuli through the mother. Many maternal factors, including hormones, cytokines, and the microbiome, can modify the intrauterine environment, thereby affecting the development of the fetal immune system. Infants of mothers under increased stress have higher rates of allergies and gastrointestinal disorders. The diet of the gravida also affects the fetal microbiome through the uterus. Our intestinal flora, or microbiome, is the totality and symbiosis of the microbes living in them, the delicate balance of which is established in infancy and decisively determines the functioning of the intestinal barrier and the intestinal associated immune system. The prebiotic required for the proliferation of probiotics can also affect the intestinal flora. The combination of pre- and probiotic is symbiotic. Breast milk has a protective effect against pathogens, in part by raising the number of Bifidobacteria in the intestinal flora of the newborn. Dysbiosis is a change in the commensal, healthy gut flora. Its role is hypothesized in functional gastrointestinal disorders, as well as in more and more psychiatric and neurological disorders such as the autism spectrum disorder. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(19): 731–740.


Author(s):  
Iván Enrique Naranjo Logroño ◽  
Leslie Gricel Cuzco Macías ◽  
Alison Tamara Ruiz Chico ◽  
Anthony Alfonso Naranjo Coronel

Introduction: The human microbiome refers to the presence of microorganisms that live with its host. Objective: To analyze the relationship between the maternal perinatal microbiome and the development of the infant’s immune system, at the origins of the development of health and disease. Methodology: A non-systematic bibliographic review was carried out, including those controlled and randomized clinical trials focused on the relationship of the prenatal maternal microbiome and the infant’s immune system. And all those works whose approach was different from the topic raised were excluded. Discussion: 20 min after birth, the microbiome of newborns by vaginal delivery resembles the microbiota of their mother’s vagina, while those born by caesarean section house microbial communities that are usually found in human skin. The acquisition of the microbiome continues during the first years of life, with a microbiome of the baby’s gastrointestinal tract beginning to resemble that of an adult from the first year of life. Conclusion: Bacteria are microorganisms that have managed to colonize the vast majority of land surfaces, showing great adaptability. The human being is not indifferent, and hypotheses have been raised that affirm his participation in the development of health and the onset of the disease. Keywords: microbiota, inmune system, infant nutritional physiological phenomena. RESUMEN Introducción: El microbioma humano se refiere a la presencia de microorganismos que conviven con su hospedero. Objetivo: Analizar la relación existente entre el microbioma materno perinatal y el desarrollo del sistema inmune del lactante, en los orígenes del desarrollo de la salud y enfermedad. Metodología: Se realizó una revisión bibliográfica no sistemática, donde se incluyeron aquellos ensayos clínicos controlados y randomizados enfocados en la relación del microbioma materno prenatal y el sistema inmune del lactante. Y se excluyeron todos aquellos trabajos cuyo enfoque fue diferente al tema planteado. Resultados: Se encontraron 61 fuentes bibliográficas, de las cuales se incluyeron 53 artículos que contenían la información relacionada al tema y publicados en los últimos 11 años. Discusión: 20 min después del nacimiento, el microbioma de los recién nacidos por parto vaginal se asemeja a la microbiota de la vagina de su madre, mientras que los nacidos por cesárea albergan comunidades microbianas que generalmente se encuentran en la piel humana. La adquisición del microbioma continúa durante los primeros años de vida, con un el microbioma del tracto gastrointestinal del bebé comienza a parecerse al de un adulto desde el primer año de vida. Conclusiones: Las bacterias, son microorganismos que han logrado colonizar la gran mayoría de las superficies terrestres, mostrando una gran capacidad de adaptación. El ser humano, no es indiferente, y se han planteado hipótesis que aseveran su participación en el desarrollo de la salud e inicio de la enfermedad. Palabras clave: microbiota, sistema inmunológico, fenómenos fisiológicos nutricionales del lactante.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (23) ◽  
pp. 8959
Author(s):  
Veronica Ricci ◽  
Davide Carcione ◽  
Simone Messina ◽  
Gualtiero I. Colombo ◽  
Yuri D’Alessandra

The human body is inhabited by around 1013 microbes composing a multicomplex system, termed microbiota, which is strongly involved in the regulation and maintenance of homeostasis. Perturbations in microbiota composition can lead to dysbiosis, which has been associated with several human pathologies. The gold-standard method to explore microbial composition is next-generation sequencing, which involves the analysis of 16S rRNA, an indicator of the presence of specific microorganisms and the principal tool used in bacterial taxonomic classification. Indeed, the development of 16S RNA sequencing allows us to explore microbial composition in several environments and human body districts and fluids, since it has been detected in “germ-free” environments such as blood, plasma, and urine of diseased and healthy subjects. Recently, prokaryotes showed to generate extracellular vesicles, which are known to be responsible for shuttling different intracellular components such as proteins and nucleic acids (including 16S molecules) by protecting their cargo from degradation. These vesicles can be found in several human biofluids and can be exploited as tools for bacterial detection and identification. In this review, we examine the complex link between circulating 16S RNA molecules and bacteria-derived vesicles.


2019 ◽  
Vol 99 (3) ◽  
pp. 1325-1380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luciana Besedovsky ◽  
Tanja Lange ◽  
Monika Haack

Sleep and immunity are bidirectionally linked. Immune system activation alters sleep, and sleep in turn affects the innate and adaptive arm of our body’s defense system. Stimulation of the immune system by microbial challenges triggers an inflammatory response, which, depending on its magnitude and time course, can induce an increase in sleep duration and intensity, but also a disruption of sleep. Enhancement of sleep during an infection is assumed to feedback to the immune system to promote host defense. Indeed, sleep affects various immune parameters, is associated with a reduced infection risk, and can improve infection outcome and vaccination responses. The induction of a hormonal constellation that supports immune functions is one likely mechanism underlying the immune-supporting effects of sleep. In the absence of an infectious challenge, sleep appears to promote inflammatory homeostasis through effects on several inflammatory mediators, such as cytokines. This notion is supported by findings that prolonged sleep deficiency (e.g., short sleep duration, sleep disturbance) can lead to chronic, systemic low-grade inflammation and is associated with various diseases that have an inflammatory component, like diabetes, atherosclerosis, and neurodegeneration. Here, we review available data on this regulatory sleep-immune crosstalk, point out methodological challenges, and suggest questions open for future research.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eiphrangdaka L. Suchiang ◽  
Deepak Kumar ◽  
Shabana Yeasmin ◽  
Monisha Singh ◽  
James Michael ◽  
...  

AbstractThe Human Microbiome Project (HMP) launched in 2008 by the National Institute of Health (NIH) fascinated microbiologists with discoveries of micro-organisms inside and outside of human beings. Their correlation with health and disease brings a new insight to preventive and therapeutic measures. At present, focus is more on the micro-organisms residing in the gut and various factors capable of altering their composition. The conclusion made by Dr. Edward Bach regarding the ability of homoeopathic potencies to alter bowel flora and its relation with chronic diseases was investigated and experimented way back. The present review attempts to correlate gut microbiota with the art and science of homoeopathy.


Microbiome ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacob T. Nearing ◽  
André M. Comeau ◽  
Morgan G. I. Langille

AbstractAdvances in DNA sequencing technology have vastly improved the ability of researchers to explore the microbial inhabitants of the human body. Unfortunately, while these studies have uncovered the importance of these microbial communities to our health, they often do not result in similar findings. One possible reason for the disagreement in these results is due to the multitude of systemic biases that are introduced during sequence-based microbiome studies. These biases begin with sample collection and continue to be introduced throughout the entire experiment leading to an observed community that is significantly altered from the true underlying microbial composition. In this review, we will highlight the various steps in typical sequence-based human microbiome studies where significant bias can be introduced, and we will review the current efforts within the field that aim to reduce the impact of these biases.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anshul Sinha ◽  
Corinne F. Maurice

The human gut is an extremely active immunological site interfacing with the densest microbial community known to colonize the human body, the gut microbiota. Despite tremendous advances in our comprehension of how the gut microbiota is involved in human health and interacts with the mammalian immune system, most studies are incomplete as they typically do not consider bacteriophages. These bacterial viruses are estimated to be as numerous as their bacterial hosts, with tremendous and mostly uncharacterized genetic diversity. In addition, bacteriophages are not passive members of the gut microbiota, as highlighted by the recent evidence for their active involvement in human health. Yet, how bacteriophages interact with their bacterial hosts and the immune system in the human gut remains poorly described. Here, we aim to fill this gap by providing an overview of bacteriophage communities in the gut during human development, detailing recent findings for their bacterial-mediated effects on the immune response and summarizing the latest evidence for direct interactions between them and the immune system. The dramatic increase in antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens has spurred a renewed interest in using bacteriophages for therapy, despite the many unknowns about bacteriophages in the human body. Going forward, more studies encompassing the communities of bacteria, bacteriophages, and the immune system in diverse health and disease settings will provide invaluable insight into this dynamic trio essential for human health.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geoffrey D Hannigan ◽  
Melissa B Duhaime ◽  
Danai Koutra ◽  
Patrick D Schloss

AbstractViruses and bacteria are critical components of the human microbiome and play important roles in health and disease. Most previous work has relied on studying bacteria and viruses independently, thereby reducing them to two separate communities. Such approaches are unable to capture how these microbial communities interact, such as through processes that maintain community robustness or allow phage-host populations to co-evolve. We implemented a network-based analytical approach to describe phage-bacteria network diversity throughout the human body. We built these community networks using a machine learning algorithm to predict which phages could infect which bacteria in a given microbiome. Our algorithm was applied to paired viral and bacterial metagenomic sequence sets from three previously published human cohorts. We organized the predicted interactions into networks that allowed us to evaluate phage-bacteria connectedness across the human body. We observed evidence that gut and skin network structures were person-specific and not conserved among cohabitating family members. High-fat diets appeared to be associated with less connected networks. Network structure differed between skin sites, with those exposed to the external environment being less connected and likely more susceptible to network degradation by microbial extinction events. This study quantified and contrasted the diversity of virome-microbiome networks across the human body and illustrated how environmental factors may influence phage-bacteria interactive dynamics. This work provides a baseline for future studies to better understand system perturbations, such as disease states, through ecological networks.Author SummaryThe human microbiome, the collection of microbial communities that colonize the human body, is a crucial component to health and disease. Two major components of the human microbiome are the bacterial and viral communities. These communities have primarily been studied separately using metrics of community composition and diversity. These approaches have failed to capture the complex dynamics of interacting bacteria and phage communities, which frequently share genetic information and work together to maintain ecosystem homestatsis (e.g. kill-the-winner dynamics). Removal of bacteria or phage can disrupt or even collapse those ecosystems. Relationship-based network approaches allow us to capture this interaction information. Using this network-based approach with three independent human cohorts, we were able to present an initial understanding of how phage-bacteria networks differ throughout the human body, so as to provide a baseline for future studies of how and why microbiome networks differ in disease states.


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