Oral probiotics in coronavirus disease 2019: connecting the gut-lung axis to viral pathogenesis, inflammation, secondary infection and clinical trials

P Baindara; R Chakraborty; Z M Holliday; S M Mandal; A G Schrum

doi:10.1016/j.nmni.2021.100837

Oral probiotics in coronavirus disease 2019: connecting the gut-lung axis to viral pathogenesis, inflammation, secondary infection and clinical trials

New Microbes New Infect. 2021 Mar:40:100837. doi: 10.1016/j.nmni.2021.100837. Epub 2021 Jan 6.

Authors

P Baindara¹, R Chakraborty², Z M Holliday³, S M Mandal⁴, A G Schrum^{1

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Affiliations

¹ Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.
² Department of Biotechnology, North Bengal University, Darjeeling, India.
³ Pulmonary Disease, Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.
⁴ Central Research Facility, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, India.
⁵ Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.
⁶ Department of Biomedical, Biological, & Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.

Abstract

Defined as helpful live bacteria that can provide medical advantages to the host when administered in tolerable amounts, oral probiotics might be worth considering as a possible preventive or therapeutic modality to mitigate coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptom severity. This hypothesis stems from an emerging understanding of the gut-lung axis wherein probiotic microbial species in the digestive tract can influence systemic immunity, lung immunity, and possibly viral pathogenesis and secondary infection co-morbidities. We review the principles underlying the gut-lung axis, examples of probiotic-associated antiviral activities, and current clinical trials in COVID-19 based on oral probiotics.

Keywords: Coronavirus disease 2019; gut microbiome; gut–lung axis; probiotics; secondary infection; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.

Publication types

Editorial

Grants and funding

R01 GM103841/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States