Book Abstract

摘要

Symbiosis is an interaction between different organisms. The symbiotic origin of cellular organelles and the exchange of the genetic material between hosts and their bacterial and viral symbionts have shaped the biodiversity of life. Recently, symbiosis has gained a new level of recognition through the realization that all organisms function as a holobiome and that any kind of interference with the hosts influences their symbionts and vice versa and reverberates in profound consequences in the sustenance of both. For example, in humans, the microbiome, which is the collection of all the microorganisms living in association with the intestines, oral cavity, urogenital system, and skin, is inherited during pregnancy and influences maturation and functioning of human immune system, protects against pathogens, and regulates metabolism. The symbionts also regulate cancer development, wound healing, tissue regeneration, and stem cell function. The medical applications of this new realization are vast and largely uncharted. The composition and the status of robustness of human symbionts could be used as the diagnostic tool to predict impending diseases, and the manipulation of symbionts could open new strategies for treatment of incurable diseases.