Polymorphic Microbiomes

The barrier structures found, for example, in the epidermis, gastrointestinal tract, respiratory tract, mammary gland, and urogenital system are populated by a range of microorganisms, which are referred to as the microbiota. Recently, the importance of the diversity and variability of microorganisms for the development and normal functioning of the human body has been increasingly elucidated. The microbiota exhibit complex interactions not only with the tissues on which they are found, but also with distant organs, and thus significantly influence the course of both physiological and pathological processes. Importantly, these interactions between microbiota and host tissue are bidirectional. Examples are the effect of the gut microbiota on brain function and the effect of the brain on the gut microbiota. Several findings indicate that microbioma variability also has a significant impact on the tumor process. The role of the tumor microbiota is also beginning to be investigated (Hanahan 2022).