|
CLINICAL
GASTROENTEROLOGY
|
||||||
|
such as antibiotics and chemotherapy have also been shown to have an important impact on gut bacteria .
More recently , research has also confirmed that gut microbiome has an influence on the bidirectional
|
communication between the gut and the brain . Discoveries around the gut microbiome-brain axis will maybe change the way some conditions are perceived ( including autism , depression and anxiety among others ). |
MICROBIOTA MODULATION : NUTRITION AND MEDICATIONS AS KEY STRATEGIES
One of the insights to come out of Chinese metagenomics projects reinforced the importance of nutrition ,
|
as it showed a close connection between diet and health . " Diet is the major force in shaping the gut microbiota ," points out Dr Liping Zhao , professor of microbiology at Shanghai Jiao Tong University and leader of the Functional Metagenomics Platform at Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine emphasises .
Probiotics have been tested in many clinical trials to date . Some of them demonstrated benefits of probiotics in prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea , of allergy disease in early life , or improvement of symptoms in adult irritable bowel syndrome and some liver diseases . Further insights are needed into the yeast strains or bacterial species and the doses that effectively modulate the gut microbiota to produce different health outcomes .
Understanding and modeling the complexity of the intestinal ecosystem is an important challenge in the field - and one that may be critical to the future of healthcare .
“ Concepts and practices in human nutrition will change as we begin to couple food intake with changes in the behavior of the gut microbiota ,” predicts Prof Versalovic . “ We will consider nutrition and medications differently in pediatric and adult medicine based on life-stage-specific differences in the microbiota .”
Specific new therapies that target gut bacteria are also on the global research agenda . Going from the basic science to the clinic , however , will not be without its challenges . “
The biggest barrier to translation is that the gut microbiota is so complex that it is taking time - plenty of time in years - for many scientists to find the signals and ‘ hike ’ through the noise to get to new diagnostics and therapeutics as cornerstones of metagenomic medicine ,” Prof Versalovic says .
The Gut Microbiota for Health World Summit takes place in an important context : In view of the recent discoveries on the broad impact of gut microbiota in human health , experts point out the need for medical practice guidelines for physicians , nutritionists and other healthcare professionals . Sharing knowledge and experiences , as will be done in this conference , is key for achieving a better understanding and implementation of interventions to protect our unique bacterial partners .
|
|||
Source : Gut Microbiota for Health . |
||||||
48 MAY 2017 | MEDICAL CHRONICLE |