Microbiota-immune interactions in asthma pathogenesis and phenotype.

The complexity and the mechanistic role of microbial communities at mucosal surfaces are only now beginning to be understood. Their impact on host metabolism, development, and immune responses to infectious and inert stimuli may be centrally linked to the metabolic functions of these communities within the established microbiome. The structure and function of microbial communities are influenced both early and throughout life by many environmental factors, exposures, diet, and disease. Understanding how the microbiome influences the host during health is likely just as important as understanding how it influences asthmatic disease predisposition and severity.