Issue 12 october 2018 Special Report The Lung Microbiota

When this journal was first created in 2015, its founders struck upon the perfect name - La Revue des Microbiotes. After the discovery of the gut, oropharyngeal, skin, and urogenital microbiota, science is finally starting to uncover the secrets of the lung microbiota as well. Medicine has long thought that healthy lungs were sterile. In the era of evidence-based medicine, it is important to note that this belief is based on poorly substantiated data* that was gathered during the earliest days of microbiology. Nevertheless, it has been used as a reference for over a century.

It was only once studies on chronic respiratory diseases started to use healthy subjects as controls that researchers were able to definitively identify the pulmonary metagenome. Nevertheless, the lung microbiota is difficult to understand for several reasons. The lungs are difficult to access and anatomically complex, there is a risk of contaminating the sample with saliva, and the dynamic of this ecosystem creates a complex equation between input and output factors.

What do the studies tell us? One of the most notable aspects of the lung is that a substantial portion of its microbiota is made up of strict anaerobic bacteria, some of which could play a crucial role in the organ's health. When applied to respiratory diseases that are becoming increasingly common, such as asthma and COPD, these data generate incredible opportunities. Prof. Antoine Magnan, a pulmonologist at Nantes University Hospital, has written a fascinating article on the topic.

This latest edition is the perfect opportunity to tell you about the new digital version of La Revue des Microbiotes. Now you can peruse your favourite sections with a simple click of a mouse.

Happy reading and browsing!