Microbiome-immune interactions in tuberculosis

PLoS Pathog. 2021 Apr 15;17(4):e1009377. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009377. eCollection 2021 Apr.

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) remains an infectious disease of global significance and a leading cause of death in low- and middle-income countries. Significant effort has been directed towards understanding Mycobacterium tuberculosis genomics, virulence, and pathophysiology within the framework of Koch postulates. More recently, the advent of "-omics" approaches has broadened our appreciation of how "commensal" microbes have coevolved with their host and have a central role in shaping health and susceptibility to disease. It is now clear that there is a diverse repertoire of interactions between the microbiota and host immune responses that can either sustain or disrupt homeostasis. In the context of the global efforts to combatting TB, such findings and knowledge have raised important questions: Does microbiome composition indicate or determine susceptibility or resistance to M. tuberculosis infection? Is the development of active disease or latent infection upon M. tuberculosis exposure influenced by the microbiome? Does microbiome composition influence TB therapy outcome and risk of reinfection with M. tuberculosis? Can the microbiome be actively managed to reduce risk of M. tuberculosis infection or recurrence of TB? Here, we explore these questions with a particular focus on microbiome-immune interactions that may affect TB susceptibility, manifestation and progression, the long-term implications of anti-TB therapy, as well as the potential of the host microbiome as target for clinical manipulation.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antitubercular Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Dysbiosis / drug therapy*
  • Dysbiosis / microbiology
  • Gastrointestinal Microbiome / drug effects
  • Gastrointestinal Microbiome / immunology
  • Humans
  • Microbiota / drug effects
  • Microbiota / immunology
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / drug effects*
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / immunology
  • Tuberculosis / drug therapy*
  • Tuberculosis / immunology

Substances

  • Antitubercular Agents

Grants and funding

The authors received no specific funding for this work.