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Abstract

Gut Microbiota as a Target in the Pathogenesis of Metabolic Disorders: A New Approach to Novel Therapeutic Agentsing and its metagenomic applications allowed the study of the microbiota composition in metabolic disorders without cultivation [8]. Results of the human microbiome studies, which are part of the human genome projects could have possible clinical applications like personalized medicine in the future [8]. It is noteworthy that despite the inter-individual variations in gut microbiota, serial stool collections have shown that core gut microbiota composition of an individual remains stable over time. Therefore, susceptibility to the development of specific diseases was different among subjects. The composition of the gut microbiota is modulated by prenatal events, delivery methods, infant feeding, duration of lactation, complementary foods, geographical location, and environmental factors such as life style, antibiotic use, and dietary pattern [9]. It seems that these factors, effective in altering gut microbiota composition, can be used for therapeutic purposes. In this review, the mechanisms by which the gut microbiota may affect host metabolism are considered, and the methods of gut microbiota modulation as novel therapeutic strategies in metabolic disorders including obesity, diabetes, and osteoporosis are provided, as well. Introduction ▼The prevalence of metabolic disorders is increasing worldwide, leading to recognize them as public health concerns. The most prevalent metabolic disorders are diabetes mellitus, obesity, and osteoporosis. The involvement of both genetic and environmental factors makes the pathophysiologies of these disorders complicated. Gut microbiota is suggested as a potential contributor to the development of metabolic disorders in recent years [1,2]. Gut microbiota is defined as the microbial community inhabiting the intestine; and gut microbiome are its genomic contents, which are 100-to 150-fold more numerous than the human genome [3]. These microbes, as an endocrine organ, play important roles in human health and their imbalances are related to numerous diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, cardiovascular diseases, allergies, and metabolic disorders. Recent evidence in mice and humans has shown that gut microbiota is linked with the development of metabolic disorders [1,[4][5][6]. Although only limited species of gut microbiota could be cultured by conventional culture techniques [7], advances in next generation sequenc- ▼As the prevalence of metabolic disorders increases dramatically, the importance of identifying environmental factors affecting metabolism control becomes greater accordingly. Gut microbiota, a complex ecosystem inhabiting the human gastrointestinal tract, is one of these potential factors. Recently, the evidence has shown the associations between alteration in gut micro biota composition and obesity, diabetes, and osteoporosis. However, the causality of gut microbiota on metabolic health has yet to be explored in intervention studies and the underly...