According to new research from the University of California at San Francisco, the type and mix of gut bacteria during the first six months of a child’s life has a profound influence on their immune system and the risk of allergies and asthma.
Actually manipulating the microbiome “dysfunctional” you may soon have a specific therapeutic approach in the prevention of these diseases.
In the first months of life the microbiome is still immature, and much easier to “manipulate”.

The researchers found that certain factors such as breastfeeding, the mode of delivery, and exposure with animals, recognized as specific factors influence the framework and asthma, can affect the infant microbiome. In turn, the microbiome affects the development of regulatory T cells, immunoglobulin E reactivity, and the development of symptoms such as allergy and asthma.

Specificity of research and study has been to highlight a specific correlation between the microbial richness, diversity and evenness of the intestine child and the development of regulatory T cells, which help keep allergies under control.
It was also shown that the bacteria were phylogenetically different microbiome in children breastfed, while in children who were not breastfed, the microbiome had a prevalence of Lachnospiraceae. The researchers determined that breastfed babies who had low levels of bacteria Lachnospiraceae, were less likely to have allergies to pets than children who were not breastfed. It is shown that the mode of birth and maternal smoking, marital status, and gestational age influences the infant microbiome; as the latter may affect the symptoms of nocturnal asthma; and as a response to vaccination with tetanus toxin is altered by the microbiome of a child.
It is the microbiome of the child that ties it all together and that’s why there is a link with allergies and asthma.
The research is already showing that mice treated with supplements of a probiotic called Lactobacillus johnsonii have a respiratory protection against the challenges of allergens, and also against respiratory viral infections.

A therapy based on maternal supplementation microbiome in children shortly after birth by caesarean is a step towards a therapeutic strategy that has as its purpose the prevention in dysbiosis, cause of allergic diseases.

These studies are focused not only on allergies and asthma, but also in other immune-related disorders, such as type 1 diabetes and celiac disease.

These studies are promising definitely to undertake specified therapies based with probiotics for these types of pathologies.