The Commensal Microbiota and Viral Infection: A Comprehensive Review

Overview

Journal Front Immunol

Specialty Allergy & Immunology

Date 2019 Jul 24

PMID 31333675

Citations 140

Authors

Na Li

Wen-Tao Ma

Ming Pang

Qin-Lei Fan

Jin-Lian Hua

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The human body is inhabited by a diverse microbial community that is collectively coined as commensal microbiota. Recent research has greatly advanced our understanding of how the commensal microbiota affects host health. Among the various kinds of pathogenic infections of the host, viral infections constitute one of the most serious public health problems worldwide. During the infection process, viruses may have substantial and intimate interactions with the commensal microbiota. A plethora of evidence suggests that the commensal microbiota regulates and is in turn regulated by invading viruses through diverse mechanisms, thereby having stimulatory or suppressive roles in viral infections. Furthermore, the integrity of the commensal microbiota can be disturbed by invading viruses, causing dysbiosis in the host and further influencing virus infectivity. In the present article, we discuss current insights into the regulation of viral infection by the commensal microbiota. We also draw attention to the disruption of microbiota homeostasis by several viruses.

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