The gut and the lungs are part of a complex system that is critical for maintaining the overall health of an individual. Increasing evidence suggests that gut microbiota can influence the immune responses in remote organs, such as the lungs. The gut-lung axis refers to the bidirectional communication between the gut microbiota and the lungs, which plays a critical role in regulating immune responses and preventing infections. Recent studies have shown that the gut-lung axis is modulated by microbes/microbial products and other signals from the intestinal mucosa, which contribute to the regulation of local and systemic immunity. Furthermore, imbalances in the gut microbiota have been linked to several respiratory diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), highlighting the importance of maintaining the balance of the healthy microbial community. This research topic aims to investigate the role of mucosal microbiota in the immunomodulation of the gut-lung axis and its implications for health and disease. The findings from this research can shed more light on the interactions between the gut and the lungs and inform the development of novel therapeutics for respiratory diseases.

This research topic aims to achieve several goals including characterizing the microbiota composition and diversity of healthy individuals and individuals with respiratory diseases, investigating the role of gut microbiota and bacterial products in regulating immune responses in the intestine and lung, exploring the impact of diet and environmental factors on the gut-lung axis, evaluating the potential of probiotics, prebiotics, postbiotics and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) as treatments for respiratory diseases, identifying the mechanisms by which mucosal microbiota interacts with the lungs and immune cells in the respiratory tract and developing a risk assessment model to predict individuals who are at higher risk of respiratory infections based on their gut microbiota and immune function.

Achieving these goals can help develop a better understanding of the microbiota-immune interactions in the gut-lung axis. This, in turn, can inform the development of new prevention and treatment strategies for respiratory diseases. By characterizing microbial markers and intercellular mechanisms involved in the gut-lung axis, researchers can identify new targets for intervention and help to optimize the use of existing treatments such as FMT, probiotics, and prebiotics. Overall, this research topic has significant potential to improve our understanding of the gut-lung axis and contribute to the development of more effective prevention and treatment strategies for respiratory diseases.

This Research Topic accepts Original Research, Review and Mini-Review, Clinical Trial, General Commentary, and Opinion articles. We welcome manuscripts focusing on, but not limited to, the following sub-topics:
• Characterizing the composition and diversity of mucosal microbiomes in healthy individuals and those with respiratory diseases.
• Investigating the role of gut microbiota and their metabolites in regulating immune responses in the lungs.
• Evaluating the effects of diet and environmental factors on the gut-lung axis.
• Exploring the potential of probiotics, prebiotics, postbiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) as treatments for respiratory diseases.
• Identifying the mechanisms by which mucosal microbiota interacts with the lungs and immune cells in the respiratory and intestinal tract.
• Developing a risk assessment model to predict individuals who are at higher risk of respiratory infections based on their gut microbiota and immune function.
• Developing new prevention and treatment strategies for respiratory diseases based on the understanding of the role of mucosal microbiota in regulating the gut-lung axis.
• Optimizing the use of existing treatments such as FMT, probiotics, and prebiotics.
• Identifying microbial markers and intercellular mechanisms involved in the gut-lung axis for new intervention targets.

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Frontiers in Immunology

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