Abstract
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is the chronic lung disease of prematurity with an operational definition, various different clinical phenotypes, and a complex, multifactorial etiology. Newer unbiased systems biology approaches have identified various “omic” factors associated with the pathogenesis and prediction of BPD. Recent microbi “omic” studies have discovered that airways of newborns harbor a low biomass but distinct microbiome signature as early as at the time of birth. This early airway microbiome may serve to prime the host immune system and may play a role in modulating the infant's future susceptibility to severe BPD development. Temporal changes are observed in airway microbiome of preterm infants from birth to the diagnosis of BPD, with an overall decrease in bacterial diversity, and development of a relative dysbiosis marked by increased Gammaproteobacteria and decreased Lactobacilli abundance. This review will summarize previous investigations of the airway microbiome in preterm infants, appraise the utility of using the airway microbiome to predict BPD development, discuss possible molecular mechanisms involved, and speculate on future microbiome-mediated therapeutics for BPD.
Highlights
Distinct microbial populations exist throughout the human body and have been the subject of investigation relating to human disease pathogenesis, susceptibility, and progression
The airway microbiome has been studied in the context of multiple pulmonary diseases including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, and cystic fibrosis [1,2,3,4]
We review the potential origins of the airway microbiome, plausible covariates that influence the airway microbiome, investigations exploring associations between microbial communities and Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) susceptibility, potential mechanisms for microbiome-derived lung maldevelopment, and future microbiomebased targeted therapeutic approaches
Summary
Distinct microbial populations exist throughout the human body and have been the subject of investigation relating to human disease pathogenesis, susceptibility, and progression. Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), the most common chronic lung disease of prematurity, may result from lung injury due to a range of factors including infection, respiratory support, edema, and oxygen toxicity. Recent investigations have described differences in the airway microbiome of preterm infants that may influence susceptibility of BPD development, suggesting another parallel pathway contributory to abnormal lung development. In this manuscript, we review the potential origins of the airway microbiome, plausible covariates that influence the airway microbiome, investigations exploring associations between microbial communities and BPD susceptibility, potential mechanisms for microbiome-derived lung maldevelopment, and future microbiomebased targeted therapeutic approaches
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
