Oral microbiome, Periodontitis

The oral microbiome contains over 600 species of microbiota. Under normal conditions the predominant phyla are Firmicutes, Bacteriodetes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Fusobacteria. The most abundant bacterial genera in the oral microbiome are members of the genus Streptococcus, but Abitrophia, Gemella, Granulicatella, and Prophyromonas are also extremely common. P. gingivalis is often present in the oral [...]

Controlling Asthma via the Gut

One of the main mechanisms underlying airway hyper-responsiveness in atopic asthma is activation of the immune system’s T-helper (Th) cells, a process that is attenuated by T-regulatory (Treg) cells. In a January 2011 study published in the journal Mucosal Immunology, Strickland and colleagues use a rat model of asthma to show that stimulation of the immune [...]

Airway Microbiota and Asthma

Our recent blog posts have focused on the microbiota of the sinonasal cavities and the lungs. In a continuation of the theme of respiratory microbiota this post reports the use of PhyloChip technology to investigate the pathological role of the bronchial microbiota. Although traditionally thought of as an airborne-allergen-related chronic inflammatory condition, recent work has [...]

The Lung Microbiome in Health and Disease

Following on from last week’s blog on the effect of tobacco smoke on the sinonasal microbiome, this week’s entry details research into the lung microbiome in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a progressive and potentially fatal lung disease caused predominantly by smoking.  In a February, 2011 study, published online in PLoS ONE, John Erb-Downward and [...]

Tobacco Smoke and the Sinonasal Microbiome

As we continue to explore the far reaching effects of disturbances in the human body’s second genome, this week’s blog focuses on the microbial community that inhabits the sinonasal cavities and how it is affected by tobacco smoke. A common complaint of smokers is chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), a prolonged inflammation of the sinuses that results [...]