Beneficial bacteria as a treatment for allergic asthma

The limitations of the current therapy for allergic asthma highlight the need for novel therapeutics with long-term benefits, greater disease control and increased efficacy. There is a growing interest in the use of interventions that target the intestinal microbiota as a treatment approach for a range of allergic disorders. Therefore, the use of potentially beneficial bacteria as a therapy for allergic asthma has gained a lot of attention. Animal models demonstrated a substantial influence of the gut microbiota on immune function beyond the gut and played a key role in the understanding of the immunomodulatory capacity of specific bacteria. Therapeutic effects of beneficial bacterial alone or in combination with non-digestible oligossachrides in animal models have included attenuating allergic airway responses and reducing allergic symptoms. Beneficial bacteria-based therapeutic strategies proved also to be useful in patients, reducing the allergic response and preventing asthma-like symptoms. Studies conducted so far indicate clearly that the treatment effects differ between the different bacterial strains. A better understanding of the interactions between the administered beneficial bacteria and the microbiota of the host is required before clinically effective bacteria-based strategies can be reached. In this brief review, we address current evidence for the potential of beneficial bacteria as a treatment approach for allergic asthma and discuss opportunities for beneficial bacteria interventions in allergic asthma.