The role of the microbiome for human health: from basic science to clinical applications

Abstract

The 2017 annual symposium organized by the University Medical Center Groningen in The Netherlands focused on the role of the gut microbiome in human health and disease. Experts from academia and industry examined interactions of prebiotics, probiotics, or vitamins with the gut microbiome in health and disease, the development of the microbiome in early-life and the role of the microbiome on the gut–brain axis. The gut microbiota changes dramatically during pregnancy and intrinsic factors (such as stress), in addition to extrinsic factors (such as diet, and drugs) influence the composition and activity of the gut microbiome throughout life. Microbial metabolites, e.g. short-chain fatty acids affect gut–brain signaling and the immune response. The gut microbiota has a regulatory role on anxiety, mood, cognition and pain which is exerted via the gut–brain axis. Ingestion of prebiotics or probiotics has been used to treat a range of conditions including constipation, allergic reactions and infections in infancy, and IBS. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) highly effective for treating recurrent Clostridium difficile infections. The gut microbiome affects virtually all aspects of human health, but the degree of scientific evidence, the models and technologies and the understanding of mechanisms of action vary considerably from one benefit area to the other. For a clinical practice to be broadly accepted, the mode of action, the therapeutic window, and potential side effects need to thoroughly be investigated. This calls for further coordinated state-of-the art research to better understand and document the human gut microbiome’s effects on human health.

Metabolism of multiple glycosaminoglycans by Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron is orchestrated by a versatile core genetic locus

“…CS-A and CS-C are both composed of repeating disaccharide units composed of D-glucuronic acid (GlcA) and N-acetyl-D-galactosamine (GalNAc). GlcA is linked β (1,3) to GalNAc which is then linked β (1,4) to the next GlcA. CS-A and CS-C differ only in sulfation with CS-A highly enriched in O4 sulfation on GalNAc whilst CS-C is enriched in O6 sulfation on GalNAc.…”

“…CS-A and CS-C differ only in sulfation with CS-A highly enriched in O4 sulfation on GalNAc whilst CS-C is enriched in O6 sulfation on GalNAc. DS is related to CS-A except GlcA is predominantly replaced with L-iduronic acid which is connected to GalNAc via an α (1,4) linkage. Finally, HA is similar to CS-A but replaces GalNAc with N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (GlcNAc) and contains no sulfation (Fig.…”

“…T he human gut microbiota (HGM) is a vast microbial community that is crucial to human health 1 . The maintenance of the HGM is dependent on its ability to utilise complex glycans as a nutrient source, in the form of dietary and host glycans 2 .…”

Changes in human gut microbiota composition are linked to the energy metabolic switch during 10 d of Buchinger fasting

“…In mice, intermittent fasting prevents diabetic retinopathy by restructuring the gut microbiota (22) . Other publications link therapeutic effects of fasting to changes of gut microbiota in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (23,24) . Only one study performed in human subjects showed that after 1…”

The Potential Influence of the Microbiome on the Development and Progression of ADHD

“…Research shows the great importance of a healthy microbial composition in the gut at an early stage in life (2-3 years of age), a period also characterized by an intense neurodevelopment in humans. Several reports conclude that early gut dysbiosis can influence the neurodevelopment in the short run and may also lead to mental health issues later in life [4,5].…”