Microbes and asthma: Opportunities for intervention

摘要: The worldwide incidence and prevalence of asthma continues to increase. Asthma is now understood as an umbrella term for different phenotypes or endotypes, which arise through pathophysiologic pathways. Understanding the many factors contributing development disease important identification novel therapeutic targets treatment certain phenotypes. hygiene hypothesis has been formulated explain increasing allergic disease, including asthma. This postulates that decreased exposure at a young age infectious agents result improved hygiene, increased antibiotic use vaccination, changes in lifestyle dietary habits associated with immune system, predispose subjects allergy. Many microbes, during their coevolution human subjects, developed mechanisms manipulate system increase chances survival. Improving models asthma, well choosing adequate end points clinical trials, will lead more complete understanding underlying mechanisms, thus providing opportunity devise primary secondary interventions same time identifying new molecular treatment. article reports discussion conclusion workshop under auspices Netherlands Lung Foundation extend our how modulation by bacterial, parasitic, viral infections might affect map out future lines investigation.