Microecology research: a new target for the prevention of asthma / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

ABSTRACT

The incidence and prevalence of asthma have increased remarkably in recent years. There are lots of factors contributing to the occurrence and development of asthma. With the improvement of sequencing technology, it has been found that the microbiome plays an important role in the formation of asthma in early life. The roles of the microbial environment and human microbiome in the occurrence and development of asthma have attracted more and more attention. The environmental microbiome influences the occurrence of asthma by shaping the human microbiome. The specific mechanism may be related to the immune regulation of Toll-like receptors and T cells (special Tregs). Intestinal microbiome is formed and changed by regulating diet and lifestyle in early life, which may affect the development and maturation of the pulmonary immune system through the intestinal-pulmonary axis. It is well-recognized that both environmental microbiomes and human microbiomes can influence the onset of asthma. This review aims to summarize the recent advances in the research of microbiome, its relationship with asthma, and the possible mechanism of the microbiome in the occurrence and development of asthma. The research of the microbial environment and human microbiome may provide a new target for the prevention of asthma in children who have high-risk factors to allergy. However, further study of "when and how" to regulate microbiome is still needed.