Microbiota-Host Interactions: Exploring Their Dynamics and Contributions to Human Diseases

Abstract

Dysbiosis is the imbalance of bacterial composition, which would otherwise change the human host's metabolic activities and usual microbiota distribution. The outcomes would be as clear as day: losing beneficial bacteria in exchange for the overgrowth of potentially pathogenic bacteria, leading to diseases. It is crucial to unravel the dynamic roles of bacteria in maintaining human health to prevent and alleviate the said dysbiosis. To date, diet, lifestyle, age, and chemical exposures were cited as the leading cause of bacterial dysbiosis atop of genetic factors. This review aims to shed light on how bacterial interplays in maintaining human health and how bacteria-bacteria interaction may play a part in the surge of antimicrobial resistance. The intricate relationship of bacteria dynamics in the gut, skin and oral was detailed to understand how bacteria dysbiosis causes diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), acne vulgaris (AV), atopic dermatitis (AD), periodontitis and dental caries. Besides that, current interventions and limitations of therapeutic prospects entailing the growing concepts of rebiosis, including probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, microbiota transplantation, and the evolving phage therapy, were also discussed to breathe new life into the development of novel therapeutics against dysbiosis.

Keywords: Inflammatory bowel disease; antimicrobial resistance; atopic dermatitis; dysbiosis; host–pathogen interactions; tooth decay.

Figure 1

Summary of the commensal bacteria, factors affecting the microbiota and the symptoms of the diseases for each body part (the gut, skin, and oral). AD, atopic dermatitis; AV, acne vulgaris; IBD, inflammatory bowel disease; IBS, irritable bowel syndrome. The figure was created using BioRender.com.