After the discovery of Helicobacter pylori in 1983, the stomach was no longer considered a sterile environment. In 2015, evolving data shows that H. pylori is not the only inhabitant of the gastric mucosa. Using culture-independent methods of analysis, a non-H. pylori microbial community has been recently observed in the human stomach, the so-called human gastric microbiota, along with H. pylori itself. Increasing evidence supports the hypothesis that although H. pylori may be the most relevant, it is not the only local bacterial culprit leading to gastric diseases. Further studies are warranted to offer a better picture of the role and functions of gastric microbiota and to identify the best therapeutic modulators of gut microbiota for the management of gastric diseases.
Keywords: H. pylori; gastric cancer; gastric diseases; gut microbiota; probiotics.
© 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.