(107b) The Microbiome in Health and Disease

Millions of microbes live in the gut and other body sites, yet are not able to be cultured and detected. Molecular techniques have recently been developed that can detect microbes at very low levels that exist in healthy individuals and in those with various diseases. These organisms, termed the microbiome, may have a significant impact on the development and progression of many diseases, and understanding these microbes may lead to new types of therapies for diseases such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, cancer, and autism.

The Human Microbiome Project was launched in 2008 as an effort to better identify microorganisms in the body of healthy individuals. Many other research projects are focused on determining the bacteria, viruses, and fungi in body sites such as the gastrointestinal tract, the skin, or the mouth in order to determine the relationship of these communities with development of different diseases. Up until a few years ago, it was thought that the lung didn’t contain any microorganisms. However, it has been discovered that it does have its own microbiome in both health and disease. Significant changes in the amount or type of microbes in the lungs may cause inflammation and potentially lead to lung damage. Understanding noticeable changes in microbes may lead to new types of therapies to treat lung disease and related illnesses.