Abstract
The microbiota—the diverse set of commensal microbes that normally colonize humans—represents the first line of defense against infectious diseases. In this review, we summarize the direct and indirect mechanisms by which the microbiota modulates susceptibility to, and severity of, infections, with a focus on immunological mechanisms. Moreover, we highlight some of the ways that modern-world lifestyles have influenced the structure-function relationship between the microbiota and infectious diseases. Ultimately, understanding how the microbiota influences infectious risks will facilitate development of microbiota-derived therapeutics that bolster host defenses.
Footnotes
This work was supported by a National University of Singapore Development Grant (to C.Y.T.). This work was also supported by the National Science Foundation grant DGE 1545220 (to Z.E.R.). Support also came from The Hartwell Foundation, as a Translating Duke Health Scholar and as a Whitehead Scholar (to N.K.S.).
Abbreviations used in this article
- PRR
- pattern recognition receptor
- SCFA
- short chain fatty acid
- SFB
- segmented filamentous bacteria
- Received March 3, 2021.
- Accepted May 14, 2021.
- Copyright © 2021 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.
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