The variability of the human gut microbiome and its effect on health
Abstract
The human gut microbiome consists of a wide range of microbes such as bacteria, fungi and archaea which can be found in the gastrointestinal tract. This gut microbiome can have both beneficial and harmful effects on the host. On one hand, it is involved in processes such as modulation of the immune system and metabolism which are beneficial for the human host. On the other hand, an imbalance in the gut microbiome could be harmful to the human host, either by contributing directly to increase host susceptibility to diseases or by indirectly causing the exacerbation of existing diseases such as necrotising enterocolitis. Evaluating the role and changes in composition of the gut microbiome resulting in diseases could therefore assist in the discovery of potential therapies or treatment for these diseases.
Keywords: gastrointestinal tract, bacteria, enteric infections, immune system, …show more content…
2012). Similar results showing a decrease in the levels of Faecalibacterium and Roseburia in patients with UC were also obtained in a study by Machiels et al. (2014).
In addition to the studies by Morgan et al. (2012) and Machiels et al. (2014) on the effects of dysbiosis in the gut microbiome, a recent study by McMurtry et al. (2015) also obtained results indicating dysbiosis of the gut microbiome is related to increasing severity of necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) in infants. When stool samples collected from infected infants with differing NEC severity and uninfected infants were analysed via RNA sequencing, it was found that lower levels of Clostridia and lower microbial diversity were associated with increasing severity of NEC (McMurtry et al.
Abstract
The human gut microbiome consists of a wide range of microbes such as bacteria, fungi and archaea which can be found in the gastrointestinal tract. This gut microbiome can have both beneficial and harmful effects on the host. On one hand, it is involved in processes such as modulation of the immune system and metabolism which are beneficial for the human host. On the other hand, an imbalance in the gut microbiome could be harmful to the human host, either by contributing directly to increase host susceptibility to diseases or by indirectly causing the exacerbation of existing diseases such as necrotising enterocolitis. Evaluating the role and changes in composition of the gut microbiome resulting in diseases could therefore assist in the discovery of potential therapies or treatment for these diseases.
Keywords: gastrointestinal tract, bacteria, enteric infections, immune system, …show more content…
2012). Similar results showing a decrease in the levels of Faecalibacterium and Roseburia in patients with UC were also obtained in a study by Machiels et al. (2014).
In addition to the studies by Morgan et al. (2012) and Machiels et al. (2014) on the effects of dysbiosis in the gut microbiome, a recent study by McMurtry et al. (2015) also obtained results indicating dysbiosis of the gut microbiome is related to increasing severity of necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) in infants. When stool samples collected from infected infants with differing NEC severity and uninfected infants were analysed via RNA sequencing, it was found that lower levels of Clostridia and lower microbial diversity were associated with increasing severity of NEC (McMurtry et al.