Health Impact and Therapeutic Manipulation of the Gut Microbiome.

Ramachandran Chelliah,Deog-Hwan Oh,Byong Hoon Lee,Fred Kwame Ofosu,Eric Banan-Mwine Daliri

doi:10.3390/ht9030017

Abstract

Recent advances in microbiome studies have revealed much information about how the gut virome, mycobiome, and gut bacteria influence health and disease. Over the years, many studies have reported associations between the gut microflora under different pathological conditions. However, information about the role of gut metabolites and the mechanisms by which the gut microbiota affect health and disease does not provide enough evidence. Recent advances in next-generation sequencing and metabolomics coupled with large, randomized clinical trials are helping scientists to understand whether gut dysbiosis precedes pathology or gut dysbiosis is secondary to pathology. In this review, we discuss our current knowledge on the impact of gut bacteria, virome, and mycobiome interactions with the host and how they could be manipulated to promote health.

Highlights

The human body consists of mammalian cells and many microbial cells which co-exist symbiotically
Recent studies have estimated the total number of human cells to be about 3–4 × 1013 [1,2]; yet the number of bacterial cells in the gut remains debatable
A recent study, estimated the total number of bacterial cells in the gut to be about 3.8 × 1013 [2], which implies that the ratio of human to bacteria cell ratio is almost a 1:1 ratio

Summary

Introduction

The human body consists of mammalian cells and many microbial cells (bacteria, viruses, and fungi) which co-exist symbiotically. The gut virome (the set of all endogenous retroviruses, eukaryotic viruses, and bacteriophages in the gut) has been recognized as an important part of the gut microbiome in many studies [8,9] They significantly outnumber the population of gut bacteria and engage in complex relationships with the host and other members of the gut microbiome [10]. Gut viruses have been shown to enhance bacterial resistance to antibiotics, acid, and osmotic and oxidative stresses [14] Another member of the gut microbiome is the mycobiome, which consists of the diverse array of fungal communities largely dominated by the phyla Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, and Zygomycota [15,16,17]. It is challenging to define what a healthy gut microbiome is

Niche Specificity of the Gut Microbiota

Variability of the Gut Microbiome

Role of the Gut Microbiota in Immunity and Homeostasis

Autoimmunity

Atopic Asthma

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Dietary Interventions

Multispecies Microbial Supplements

Phage Therapy

Challenges and Perspectives