Probiotics in Human Medicine: Overview

The introduction of the core human microbiome concept initiates new ways of thinking about potential clinical applications of probiotics. While important characteristics of probiotics include their abilities to suppress the proliferation and virulence of pathogenic organisms, it is becoming quite clear that these organisms also have direct effects on human physiology and immunity. Studies are beginning to shed light on tangible effects of probiotics in allergic and autoimmune diseases, oral biology, diseases of the gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts, and neurology and psychiatry. Advances in probiotics research are resulting in implementation of probiotics as treatment and prevention strategies for a multitude of human diseases.