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Gut microbial metabolism and colon cancer: Can manipulations of the microbiota be useful in the management of gastrointestinal health?
Author(s) -
Belcheva Antoaneta,
Irrazabal Thergiory,
Martin Alberto
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
bioessays
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.175
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1521-1878
pISSN - 0265-9247
DOI - 10.1002/bies.201400204
Subject(s) - dysbiosis , gut flora , biology , disease , immune system , microbial metabolism , microbiome , gastrointestinal tract , antibiotics , bioinformatics , immunology , microbiology and biotechnology , bacteria , genetics , medicine , pathology , biochemistry
The gut microbiota is an important component of the human body and its immune‐modulating and metabolic activities are critical to maintain good health. Gut microbes, however, are sensitive to changes in diet, exposure to antibiotics, or infections, all of which cause transient disruptions in the microbial composition, a phenomenon known as dysbiosis. It is now recognized that microbial dysbiosis is at the root of many gastrointestinal disorders. However, the mechanisms through which bacterial dysbiosis initiates disease are not fully understood. Microbially‐derived metabolites and their role in disease have also attracted significant attention. Identification of cancer‐associated bacteria and understanding the contributions of microbial metabolism in health and disease are exciting but challenging areas that will allow defining microbial biomarkers for predicting gastrointestinal disorders. Understanding the complex interactions between gut microbiota, diet, host immune system and host genetics will be critical to developing more personalized therapies and approaches to treat disease.