.webp&w=384&q=75){kind=logo}
Loading, please wait...
Loading, please wait...
Modern sequencing approaches have overturned the older view that healthy lungs are sterile. Reviews of the lung microbiome describe how 16S rRNA sequencing, metagenomics and related molecular methods have identified microbial communities and host–microbe interactions relevant to respiratory health and disease. The evidence is still evolving, and interpretation is complicated by low microbial biomass, contamination risk and differences in sampling and analytical methods. For internists, the important shift is conceptual: respiratory disease may reflect not only individual pathogens but also changes in microbial ecology, mucosal immunity and interactions along the gut–lung axis. This has implications for chronic airway disease, infection susceptibility and the development of microbiome-informed therapies. At present, routine clinical decisions should not be based on unvalidated microbiome signatures, but the research agenda is rapidly moving toward more precise molecular phenotyping. The topic fits APICON's translational emphasis because it links basic science to potential future diagnostics and therapeutics while also illustrating why rigorous study design is essential before promising molecular findings enter everyday practice.
Read summarized clinical updates, watch expert medical content, and earn CME certifications right from your smartphone.
Open your smartphone camera to scan and install.
Modern sequencing approaches have overturned the older view that healthy lungs are sterile. Reviews of the lung microbiome describe how 16S rRNA sequencing, metagenomics and related molecular methods have identified microbial communities and host–microbe interactions relevant to respiratory health and disease. The evidence is still evolving, and interpretation is complicated by low microbial biomass, contamination risk and differences in sampling and analytical methods. For internists, the important shift is conceptual: respiratory disease may reflect not only individual pathogens but also changes in microbial ecology, mucosal immunity and interactions along the gut–lung axis. This has implications for chronic airway disease, infection susceptibility and the development of microbiome-informed therapies. At present, routine clinical decisions should not be based on unvalidated microbiome signatures, but the research agenda is rapidly moving toward more precise molecular phenotyping. The topic fits APICON's translational emphasis because it links basic science to potential future diagnostics and therapeutics while also illustrating why rigorous study design is essential before promising molecular findings enter everyday practice.
Today
The phase 3 ACACIA-HCM trial reveals that aficamten improves cardiac structure, diastolic relaxation, functional capacity, and symptom burden in symptomatic nonobstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, marking a major milestone in targeted myosin inhibition.
6 days back
A clinical study shows that automated breast ultrasound paired with artificial intelligence accurately classifies BIRADS 3-4 lesions, reaching 95% sensitivity and 79% specificity. This diagnostic advance promises to reduce unnecessary core needle biopsies and refine clinical workflows in breast imaging.
3 weeks back
Researchers have engineered freestanding hierarchical-porous BCZT thin films that resist cracking and enhance ultrasonic energy harvesting in soft tissue. Achieving high piezoelectric output and acoustic matching, this lead-free material offers transformative potential for implantable bioelectronics.
6 days back
A novel pathology-adaptive surface engineering strategy uses functionalized plasma polymer coatings to selectively modulate AGE adsorption, reducing oxidative stress and restoring bone formation in diabetic and aging microenvironments.
3 weeks back
A breakthrough study identifies the Klotho/PKCα/CUX1/SPARC/TGFβ-RII axis as a critical driver of podocyte mitochondrial injury and ferroptosis in diabetic kidney disease, unveiling promising molecular targets to halt renal disease progression.
6 days back
