Research questions: The “lung-gut axis” refers to the bidirectional connection between the lung and the gastrointestinal tract, mainly involving the microbiome and immune response. The lung and gut are independent organs with different functions and environments, but they share a common embryonic origin and structural and physiological similarities of mucosal tissues, so there may be interactions in health and disease, as well as overlapping disease risk factors. Lung and gastrointestinal diseases often co-occur, but the association between the two remains unclear. In addition, the underlying molecular mechanism of the pathogenesis of both needs to be further explored.
Objectives: Explore the relationship between lifestyle, diet, environment, biology, genetics, and their interactions with lung-gut axis diseases, aiming to clarify the pathophysiological mechanisms of lung and gastrointestinal diseases and uncover potential molecular mechanisms. The study will also investigate the specific gut microbiome profiles that contribute to an increased risk of different types of lung diseases, further analyzing the causal relationships and directionality between lung and gastrointestinal diseases. Additionally, the research will explore the interactions between lifestyle, diet, environmental factors, and the gut microbiome, with a particular focus on their combined effects on lung diseases.
Scientific rationale: Pulmonary and gastrointestinal diseases often occur together, and previous studies have suggested that they may be mediated by the microbiome and immune response. Identifying modifiable risk factors is important for early prevention and intervention of the disease. However, the exact mechanism of the “lung-gut axis” crosstalk between lung and gastrointestinal diseases remains to be elucidated, and few studies have comprehensively explored the role of genetic, non-genetic and clinical factors in the occurrence and development of lung-gut axis diseases.
