Combination of intestinal pathobiont bacterial species

A combination of intestinal pathobiont bacterial species refers to a group of normally symbiotic or commensal microorganisms that, under conditions of environmental or genetic stress, expand and promote pathological processes [1, 3, 4]. These organisms, such as Adherent-invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC), Klebsiella pneumoniae, and certain Bacteroides species, are frequently implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory conditions like Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) [1, 18, 21]. Unlike primary pathogens, pathobionts typically coexist peacefully with the host until dysbiosis occurs, leading to a breakdown in the intestinal barrier and aberrant immune activation [2, 5, 14]. Therapeutic strategies targeting these species include fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), defined microbial consortia, and narrow-spectrum antibiotics or bacteriophages designed to restore a healthy microbial balance [6, 7, 9, 23]. By modulating the abundance of these pathobionts, clinicians aim to reduce chronic inflammation and restore metabolic homeostasis within the gut environment [11, 18, 24].

Other names

Gut pathobiontsDysbiotic microbiotaOpportunistic gut pathogensIBD-associated bacteriaPro-inflammatory gut bacteria

Restoration of microbial diversity and competitive exclusion of pathogenic species to modulate host immune responses and metabolic pathways [9, 11, 18].