Gut-Lung Axis, Probiotics, and Prebiotics: Insights on Dysbiosis, Mechanism, and Prevention of Lung Cancer

Deepika Deepika¹Zayed D. Alsharari²Md Faruque Ahmad³Jagphool Singh⁴Mohini Yadav⁵Anita Kumari^1*Anil Kumar^4*Karl R. Matthews⁶Rotimi E. Aluko⁷António Raposo^8*Najla A. Albaridi⁹Boshra Mozaffar³Ariana Saraiva^10,11Saurabh C. Saxena⁵

• ¹Department of Nutrition Biology, Central University of Haryana, Mahendergarh, Haryana-123031, India, Mahendragarh, India
• ²Department of Clinical Nutrition, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Tabuk, P.O. Box 741, Tabuk 71491, Saudi Arabia, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia
• ³Department of Clinical Nutrition, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan 45142, Saudi Arabia, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
• ⁴Centre for Medical Biotechnology, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, Haryana-124001, India, Rohtak, India
• ⁵Department of Biochemistry, School of Interdisciplinary and Applied Sciences, Central University of Haryana, Jant-Pali, Mahendergarh 123031, Haryana, India, Mahendragarh, India
• ⁶Department of Food Science, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA, New Brunswick, United States
• ⁷Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T2N2, Canada, Winnipeg, Canada
• ⁸CBIOS, Universidade Lusófona Research Center for Biosciences & Health Technologies, Lisbon, Portugal
• ⁹Department of Health Science, College of Health and Rehabilitation, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• ¹⁰Research in Veterinary Medicine (I-MVET), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lisbon University Centre, Lusófona University, Campo Grande 376, 1749-024 Lisboa, Portugal, Lisboa, Portugal
• ¹¹Veterinary and Animal Research Centre (CECAV), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lisbon University Centre, Lusófona University, Campo Grande 376, 1749-024 Lisboa, Portugal, Lisboa, Portugal

Background/Objectives: Science continues to unravel the intricacies of the human body that affect health and well-being. The human gastrointestinal tract is inhabited by microbiota responsible for various bodily functions and reactions. This review provides an overview of lung-related diseases and the role of the gut-lung axis (GLA) related to lung cancer. Integral to the discussion are the roles that prebiotics and probiotics play in critical aspects of the GLA. The review aims to bridge the conventional knowledge with recent knowledge of therapeutic agents. Methods: A literature review was performed using the keywords “gut-lung axis”, “prebiotics”, “probiotics”, and “lung cancer” on Google Scholar, PubMed, and JSTOR. Results: Probiotic bacteria have a positive effect in maintaining beneficial bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract, which subsequently shows significant effects in maintaining lung health. Coupled with the efficacy of probiotics is a diet rich in prebiotics required to maintain a healthy gastrointestinal tract microbiota. Probiotics and prebiotics have specific mechanisms of action to prevent lung health-related diseases such as lung cancer. Recent advances have shown the potential of non-toxic and sustainable therapeutic agents for reversal of dysbiosis in GLA. Conclusions: Research suggests that the gastrointestinal tract microbiota has a crucial role in the onset and prevention of lung cancer. Lung cancer, which is prevalent in almost every country around the globe, is found to be associated with the occurrence of various other co-morbidities. Seeking new methods to maintain lung health and prevent lung diseases, including lung cancer, remains urgent, especially in the post-COVID era.