Sarkar, AmarMcInroy, Cameron J. A.Harty, SiobhánRaulo, AuraIbata, Neil G. O.Vallès Colomer, MireiaJohnson, Katerina V-A.Brito, Ilana L.Henrich, JosephArchie, Elizabeth A.Barreiro, Luis B.Gazzaniga, Francesca S.Finlay, B. BrettKoonin, Eugene V.Carmody, Rachel N.Moeller, Andrew H.2024-07-112024Sarkar A, McInroy CJA, Harty S, Raulo A, Ibata NGO, Valles-Colomer M, et al. Microbial transmission in the social microbiome and host health and disease. Cell. 2024 Jan 4;187(1):17-43. DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.12.0140092-8674http://hdl.handle.net/10230/60735Although social interactions are known to drive pathogen transmission, the contributions of socially transmissible host-associated mutualists and commensals to host health and disease remain poorly explored. We use the concept of the social microbiome-the microbial metacommunity of a social network of hosts-to analyze the implications of social microbial transmission for host health and disease. We investigate the contributions of socially transmissible microbes to both eco-evolutionary microbiome community processes (colonization resistance, the evolution of virulence, and reactions to ecological disturbance) and microbial transmission-based processes (transmission of microbes with metabolic and immune effects, inter-specific transmission, transmission of antibiotic-resistant microbes, and transmission of viruses). We consider the implications of social microbial transmission for communicable and non-communicable diseases and evaluate the importance of a socially transmissible component underlying canonically non-communicable diseases. The social transmission of mutualists and commensals may play a significant, under-appreciated role in the social determinants of health and may act as a hidden force in social evolution.application/pdfeng© Elsevier http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2023.12.014info:eu-repo/semantics/articlehttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2023.12.014Antibiotic resistanceAntibioticsCommunicable diseasesImmunityMicrobial transmissionMicrobiotaNon-communicable diseasesSocial determinants of healthSocial evolutionSocial networksSocial transmissionSocial viromeinfo:eu-repo/semantics/embargoedAccess