Microbiome-based interventions to modulate gut ecology and the immune system

Mucosal Immunology, vol. 15, pp. 1095–1113

Abstract

The gut microbiome lies at the intersection between the environment and the host, with the ability to modify host responses to disease-relevant exposures and stimuli. This is evident in how enteric microbes interact with the immune system, e.g., supporting immune maturation in early life, affecting drug efficacy via modulation of immune responses, or influencing development of immune cell populations and their mediators. Many factors modulate gut ecosystem dynamics during daily life and we are just beginning to realise the therapeutic and prophylactic potential of microbiome-based interventions. These approaches vary in application, goal, and mechanisms of action. Some modify the entire community, such as nutritional approaches or faecal microbiota transplantation, while others, such as phage therapy, probiotics, and prebiotics, target specific taxa or strains. In this review, we assessed the experimental evidence for microbiome-based interventions, with a particular focus on their clinical relevance, ecological effects, and modulation of the immune system.

Authors 8

1. Thomas C. A. Hitch Aachen Functional Microbiome Research Group Institute of Medical Microbiology

   Universitätsklinikum Aachen · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Functional Microbiome Research Group, Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital of RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany

2. Lindsay J. Hall

   University of East Anglia · Quadram Institute · Technical University of Munich

   Affiliation as printed

   Gut Microbes & Health, Quadram Institute Biosciences, Norwich, UK

   Intestinal Microbiome, School of Life Sciences, ZIEL-Institute for Food & Health, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany

   Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK

   Intestinal Microbiome, School of Life Sciences, ZIEL—Institute for Food & Health, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany

3. Sarah Kate Walsh

   University College Cork

   Affiliation as printed

   APC Microbiome Ireland, School of Microbiology and Department of Medicine, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland

   School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland

4. Gabriel E. Leventhal
   Affiliation as printed

   PharmaBiome AG, Zürich, Switzerland

5. Emma Marie Caroline Slack

   ETH Zurich · Institute of Food, Nutrition, and Health

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland

6. Tomás de Wouters
   Affiliation as printed

   PharmaBiome AG, Zürich, Switzerland

7. Jens Walter

   University College Cork

   Affiliation as printed

   APC Microbiome Ireland, School of Microbiology and Department of Medicine, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland

8. Thomas Clavel corresponding Aachen Functional Microbiome Research Group Institute of Medical Microbiology

   Universitätsklinikum Aachen · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Functional Microbiome Research Group, Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital of RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany. tclavel@ukaachen.de

   Functional Microbiome Research Group, Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital of RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany