Mycobiome and Mycobiome-Associated Diseases

Abstract

The human body is host to a large number of commensal microbial species such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Among these, the human mycobiome is often neglected as a potential cause of disease, as it is thought to be comparatively much less abundant and less diverse than the human bacteriome. Additionally, most fungi are not easily cultured, even in specific media. Hence, their study has been limited to date, mainly because of the unavailability of methods used for their detection. However, the utilization of a novel metagenomic methodology will enable the identification of well-characterized mycobiomes in several parts of the human body and broaden our knowledge of their contribution to human health and disease. In this article, we review the role of the human mycobiome in the gut, respiratory organs, skin, genital tract, and carcinogenesis, highlighting the correlations between the human mycobiome and mycobiome-associated diseases.