Modulation of mucosal antiviral immune response by immunobiotic lactic acid bacteria 5 Part I: the intestinal mucosa

Abstract

Viruses are the most important cause of severe mucosal infections worldwide especially in high risk populations such as in infants, young children, elderly and immunocompromised hosts. A significant improvement in the knowledge of how the host immune response contributes to the pathogenesis of viral infections has been made during the last decade. This understanding of host response and molecular pathogenesis of viral infections has been critical for the development of vaccines, antivirals and other disease intervention approaches such as probiotic functional foods. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are technologically and commercially important and have various beneficial effects on human health. Several studies have demonstrated that certain LAB strains can exert their beneficial effect on the host through their immunomudulatory activity. These strains, termed immunobiotics, have been used for the development of probiotic foods with the ability to stimulate mucosal antiviral immunity. In this review we examine the current scientific literature concerning the advances in our understanding of how commensal microorganisms are able to modulate intestinal viral immunity and affect the outcome of viral diseases. Research from the last decade demonstrates that immunobiotic LAB represent a promising resource for the development of prevention strategies against viral infections that could be effective tools for medical application.