Can our microbiome break our hearts? Collaborative production of -cresol sulfate and indoxyl sulfate by commensal microbes increases susceptibility to thrombosis.

A recent study published in by Nemet et al. revealed the critical role played by two gut microbiota members in producing the metabolites indoxyl sulfate (IS) and cresol sulfate (CS) (I. Nemet, M. Funabashi,X. S. Li, M. Dwidar, et al., 2023, mBio 14:e01331-23, https://doi.org/10.1128/mbio.01331-23). Understanding microbial pathways leading to IS and CS production is crucial because they are connected to a pre-thrombotic profile, and having high levels of these metabolites increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Hence, this study can offer vital insights into assessing the risk for CVD and identifying potential treatment targets for this disease.