From the gut to the lungs: The role of gut microbiota in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and related research progress

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a progressive respiratory disease with high morbidity and mortality. Existing treatment methods are difficult to effectively curb disease progression, highlighting the urgency to explore new pathogenesis mechanisms and therapeutic targets. With the development of microbiomics, the proposal of the "gut-lung axis" concept has provided a brand-new perspective for understanding the pathological mechanisms of COPD, revealing that the gut and lungs maintain a close connection through pathways such as immune regulation and metabolic interaction. This article systematically elaborates on the association between gut microbiota and COPD: First, it deeply analyzes the pathological interaction between the gut and lungs from the perspective of the gut-lung axis. On this basis, it examines the characteristic changes in gut microbiota and their metabolites in COPD patients, explores the key influencing factors driving such microbiota dysbiosis, and further systematically explains the core mechanisms by which gut microbiota contribute to the occurrence and progression of COPD. Finally, it focuses on strategies for the prevention and treatment of COPD based on gut microbiota regulation, and prospects their clinical application potential. The purpose of this article is to provide new ideas and directions for the basic research and clinical practice of COPD by comprehensively sorting out the association between gut microbiota and COPD, thereby helping to improve the current status of COPD prevention and treatment.