Prevotella in the airway: implications for lung health and pathogen defense mediated by Prevotella-host interactions.

Prevotella species are a common lung microbiome component linked to lung immune homeostasis and infection defense, with depletion associated with reduced survival in critically ill patients.

• Why it matters: Understanding Prevotella's role is crucial because its depletion correlates with poorer outcomes, yet its mechanisms in lung health and disease remain unclear, limiting therapeutic development.
• What they did: The authors review mechanistic studies involving Prevotella-host interactions, focusing on how Prevotella activates immune responses and influences key lung pathogens like Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
• The result: Insights into Prevotella's regulation of lung immunity may inform new therapies to prevent or treat lung infections and improve patient outcomes, addressing current knowledge gaps.