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Respiratory microbiota and lower respiratory tract disease

Introduction: The respiratory  airways harbor a complex  succession of  ecological niches with distinct   but related bacterial communities. Particular challenges of respiratory microbiome research have led to limited  scientific  output  compared  to  other  human microbiomes.

Areas covered: In this review, we summarize the current state of knowledge of the bacterial respiratory microbiome, with a particular focus on associations between the respiratory microbiome and lower respiratory tract conditions.

Expert commentary: There is growing evidence that the respiratory microbiome is associated  with lower respiratory infectious diseases and related conditions. Most respiratory microbiome reports are metataxonomic cross-sectional or case-control studies with relatively small sample sizes. Large, pro- spective projects with metatranscriptomics or  metabolomics approach are needed  to unravel the  effect  of the respiratory microbiome on health-related conditions. Moreover, standardization  in  sampling,  library  preparation,  sequencing  techniques  and  data  analysis  should  be encouraged.

Respiratory microbiota and lower respiratory tract disease

Introduction: The respiratory  airways harbor a complex  succession of  ecological niches with distinct   but related bacterial communities. Particular challenges of respiratory microbiome research have led to limited  scientific  output  compared  to  other  human microbiomes.

Areas covered: In this review, we summarize the current state of knowledge of the bacterial respiratory microbiome, with a particular focus on associations between the respiratory microbiome and lower respiratory tract conditions.

Expert commentary: There is growing evidence that the respiratory microbiome is associated  with lower respiratory infectious diseases and related conditions. Most respiratory microbiome reports are metataxonomic cross-sectional or case-control studies with relatively small sample sizes. Large, pro- spective projects with metatranscriptomics or  metabolomics approach are needed  to unravel the  effect  of the respiratory microbiome on health-related conditions. Moreover, standardization  in  sampling,  library  preparation,  sequencing  techniques  and  data  analysis  should  be encouraged.