The Role of Postbiotics in Asthma Treatment

Abstract

In recent years, there has been abundant research concerning human microbiome and its impact on the host's health. Studies have shown that not only the commensal bacteria itself, but also postbiotics, understood as inanimate microorganisms, possibly with the presence of their components, may themselves have an effect on various elements of human physiology. In this review, we take a closer look at the specific ways in which postbiotics can alter immune response in allergic asthma, which is one of the most prevalent allergic diseases in today's world and a serious subject of concern. Through altering patients' immune response, not only to allergens but also to pathogens, postbiotics could have a significant role in lowering the number of asthma exacerbations. We suggest that more profound research should be undertaken in order to launch postbiotics into clinical standards of asthma treatment, given the greatly promising findings in terms of their immunomodulating potential.

Keywords: allergic asthma; bacterial lysates; immunomodulation; microbiome; postbiotics.

Figure 1

Immunomodulatory properties of postbiotics. Postbiotics act as immunomodulators and promote antiallergic immune responses. They provide the maintenance of violated Th1/Th2 type immune response balance, stimulate IgA and IgG production, and provoke DC maturation. Moreover, they reduce asthma symptoms by decreasing mast cell degranulation and eosinophil count. Created with biorender.com. HKL—Heat-Killed Lactobacillus.

Figure 2

Identification of studies via databases.