[Pulmonary mucosa during the perinatal period: Can understanding of the lung help to combat the infant's sensitivity to bronchiolitis?]

Abstract

Due to infection with the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), bronchiolitis is the main respiratory disease in infants, and no effective treatments currently exist. The perinatal period is an important stage in the maturation of the lung mucosa, insofar as it largely determines the host's pulmonary reactivity to pathogens. Understanding the physiological, immunological and microbiological characteristics of the lungs in early life may lead to new innovative strategies against infectious agents. We hypothesize that the lung microbiota represents a regulatory factor of paramount importance in young people's health.

Keywords: Lungs; Microbiota; Microbiote; Perinatal period; Poumons; Période périnatale; Respiratory syncytial virus; Virus respiratoire syncytial.