Abstract
The term microbiome means not only a complex ecosystem of microbial species that colonize our body but also their genome and the surrounding environment in which they live. Recent studies support the existence of a gut-retina axis involved in the pathogenesis of several chronic progressive ocular diseases, including age-related macular disorders. This review aims to underline the importance of the gut microbiome in relation to ocular health. After briefly introducing the characteristics of the gut microbiome in terms of composition and functions, the role of gut microbiome dysbiosis, in the development or progression of retinal diseases, is highlighted, focusing on the relationship between gut microbiome composition and retinal health based on the recently investigated gut-retina axis.
Highlights
The terms microbiota and microbiome are often used interchangeably, they have different meanings: the first refers to the prokaryotic organisms and eukaryotes that coexist in symbiosis with us, the latter, which for a long time was only referred to these microorganisms genomes, today takes a broader meaning
This review aims to underline the importance of the gut microbiome in relation to ocular health
After a brief introduction on the gut microbiome in terms of composition and function, the review highlights the role of gut microbiome dysbiosis in the development or progression of chronic retinal diseases, such as Age-Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD), Diabetic Retinopathy (DR), or Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP)
Summary
The terms microbiota and microbiome are often used interchangeably, they have different meanings: the first refers to the prokaryotic organisms (bacteria and archaea) and eukaryotes (e.g., protozoa, fungi, algae, and multicellular parasites) that coexist in symbiosis with us, the latter, which for a long time was only referred to these microorganisms genomes, today takes a broader meaning. To get an idea of the biological role of this population, just think that, while the human genome consists of approximately 23,000 genes, the gut microbiome encodes more than 3 million genes and produces thousands of metabolites. It is, evident that, since it interacts in a symbiotic way with our organism, performing immune and metabolic functions of fundamental importance, the maintenance of its qualitative and quantitative composition is essential for the maintenance of our health (Rinninella et al, 2019)
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