Niche exclusion of a lung pathogen in mice with designed probiotic communities
For years, the airway microbiota have been theorized to be gatekeepers of respiratory health, as pathogens entering the airway make contact with resident microbes prior to or coincident with their interaction with host cells. Thus, modification of the native airway community may serve as a means of altering the local environment in favor of health. In this work, we hypothesize that synthetic…
Respiratory health may be safeguarded by modifying the airway microbiota, as pathogens that enter the airway come into contact with resident microbes before or at the same time as they interact with host cells. Researchers propose that introducing synthetic bacterial communities into the airway can act as preventive measures against infection by Burkholderia thailandensis in mice.
By studying the antagonistic interactions between pathogens and airway microbiota in a lab setting, the team identified probiotics that could provide protective benefits in living organisms. The study reveals that the presence of niche overlap between the probiotic and pathogen suggests the probiotic's efficacy in preventing respiratory infections.
This research lays the groundwork for the development of targeted probiotic communities to protect against and treat respiratory infections.
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