The impact of gut microbiota in human health and disease: a comprehensive review

The role of microbiota in health and diseases is being highlighted by numerous studies since its discovery. Intestinal microbial flora, known as the second gene pool of the human body, play an important role in immune function, nutrient uptake, and various activities of host cells, as well as in human disease. The microbial communities are in symbiosis with the host, contributing to homeostasis and regulating immune function and plays important role in some organ development. However, microbiota dysbiosis can lead to dysregulation of bodily functions and diseases including cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), cancers, autism, dementia, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and respiratory diseases. In this review, we discuss the recent knowledge of how microbiota links to host health or pathogenesis. We first summarize the research of how gut microbiota inherited, and the function of microbiota in healthy conditions, including their role in immune system development, bone formation and impact of bacteria on brain and behavior. Then we present the role of gut microbiome in human diseases including immune system disorders, osteoporosis and autism spectrum disorder.

Keywords:

Gastrointestinal Microbiome , autism spectrum disorder , Cardiovascular diseases , immune system , Symbiosis