Microbiome and the Gut-Lung Axis in Emerging Viral Respiratory Infections

Abstract

The gut microbiota was once thought to be merely a component of digestion, but it is now known to have a wide range of effects, particularly on our ability to combat infections, including lung infections. The gut-lung axis, a biological dialogue in which gut microbes aid in controlling immune responses in the respiratory system, is at the centre of this discovery. In the wake of global health threats like influenza and COVID-19, this connection has become even more crucial.

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which are produced by beneficial gut microbes, aid in immune cell training, inflammation management, and the avoidance of immunological overreactions such as the hazardous cytokine storms that occur during severe viral infections. This equilibrium promotes a robust, well-balanced defence in a healthy gut. However, when the gut ecology is disrupted—by stress, antibiotics, disease, or aging—this protective link weakens.

The body may become more susceptible to severe respiratory illnesses as a result of this dysbiosis. Indeed, new research indicates that a person's gut microbial profile may affect the prognosis of viral infections.

This information is creating exciting opportunities: microbial metabolite therapies, targeted probiotics, and even faecal transplants are being researched as means of improving lung infection outcomes and boosting immunity. Doctors may soon be able to more accurately customize treatments and identify high-risk patients early with the use of gut profiling. In addition to improving digestion, knowing and taking care of our gut microbes may be essential to surviving pandemics in the future.