Nasal mucosal microbial community

The **nasal mucosal microbial community** (also called the *nasal microbiota* or *nasal microbiome*) refers to the diverse population of commensal bacteria and fungi that inhabit the mucosal surfaces of the human nasal cavity and upper respiratory tract[1][2][3]. This community is composed primarily of bacterial phyla such as Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria, but may also include Bacteroidetes, Cyanobacteria, and Fusobacteria, among others[1][3][7]. Dominant genera in healthy individuals frequently include *Staphylococcus*, *Corynebacterium*, *Dolosigranulum*, and *Streptococcus*, with variations depending on age, health status, and anatomical subsite[1][7]. The nasal microbiota plays critical roles in local immune defense, maintenance of mucosal barrier integrity, and modulation of inflammation[3][7]. Alterations (dysbiosis) in this community are associated with diseases such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis, and increased susceptibility to infections[2][4][6][7]. Community composition correlates with both risk and severity of these diseases, and host genetics have been shown to partly shape the structure of the nasal microbiome[5]. There is increasing interest in modulating the nasal microbial community for therapeutic purposes (e.g., by probiotics), but these interventions remain investigational, and the community as a whole is not considered a conventional "therapeutic target" like a receptor or enzyme[6]. Instead, research is focused on understanding its ecological and functional impact on health and disease. Because this is a *community of organisms* and **not a discrete molecule, receptor, enzyme, or similar classical drug target**, it does not fit standard pharmacological target definitions and should not be treated as such. In summary, the "nasal mucosal microbial community" is a complex and dynamic ecological entity, functionally important in health and disease but not a classical therapeutic target or biomolecule[2][3][6][7].

Other names

nasal microbiotanasal microbiomenasal microbial communityupper respiratory tract microbiome