A study in Nature Medicine focused on the relationship between early-life gut virome, or viruses in the gut, and the development of childhood asthma, independent of bacteria. The gut virome, specifically temperate phage taxa, was found to be associated with preschool asthma risk, along with the host genetics and the bacteriome. The study, conducted with 700 children, found that a combination of specific temperate gut phage taxa were linked to the later development of asthma while host genetics influenced the virome-associated asthma risk. The findings suggest that phages along with bacteria and genetics could be used as preclinical biomarkers for asthma. Additionally, it was found that the virome had independent and additive effects on asthma separate from the bacteriome.
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Study suggests gut phages may be involved in the development of asthma
