Louvain Drug Research Institute (LDRI), Metabolism and Nutrition research group (MNUT), UCLouvain, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
Walloon Excellence in Life Sciences and BIOtechnology (WELBIO) department, WEL Research Institute, Wavre, Belgium.
Gut. 2024 Oct 7;73(11):1893-1908. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2024-333378.
The understanding that changes in microbiome composition can influence chronic human diseases and the efficiency of therapies has driven efforts to develop microbiota-centred therapies such as first and next generation probiotics, prebiotics and postbiotics, microbiota editing and faecal microbiota transplantation. Central to microbiome research is understanding how disease impacts microbiome composition and vice versa, yet there is a problematic issue with the term 'dysbiosis', which broadly links microbial imbalances to various chronic illnesses without precision or definition. Another significant issue in microbiome discussions is defining 'healthy individuals' to ascertain what characterises a healthy microbiome. This involves questioning who represents the healthiest segment of our population-whether it is those free from illnesses, athletes at peak performance, individuals living healthily through regular exercise and good nutrition or even elderly adults or centenarians who have been tested by time and achieved remarkable healthy longevity.This review advocates for delineating 'what defines a healthy microbiome?' by considering a broader range of factors related to human health and environmental influences on the microbiota. A healthy microbiome is undoubtedly linked to gut health. Nevertheless, it is very difficult to pinpoint a universally accepted definition of 'gut health' due to the complexities of measuring gut functionality besides the microbiota composition. We must take into account individual variabilities, the influence of diet, lifestyle, host and environmental factors. Moreover, the challenge in distinguishing causation from correlation between gut microbiome and overall health is presented.The review also highlights the resource-heavy nature of comprehensive gut health assessments, which hinders their practicality and broad application. Finally, we call for continued research and a nuanced approach to better understand the intricate and evolving concept of gut health, emphasising the need for more precise and inclusive definitions and methodologies in studying the microbiome.
人们认识到微生物组组成的变化会影响慢性人类疾病和治疗的效果,这推动了以微生物组为中心的治疗方法的发展,例如第一代和第二代益生菌、益生元和后生元、微生物组编辑和粪便微生物群移植。微生物组研究的核心是了解疾病如何影响微生物组组成,反之亦然,但“失调”一词存在一个有问题的问题,它广泛地将微生物失衡与各种慢性疾病联系起来,没有准确性或定义。微生物组讨论中的另一个重要问题是定义“健康个体”,以确定健康微生物组的特征。这涉及到质疑谁代表了我们人口中最健康的部分——是那些没有疾病的人、处于最佳表现的运动员、通过定期锻炼和良好营养保持健康的个体,还是即使经历了时间的考验并实现了显著健康长寿的老年或百岁老人。
本综述提倡通过考虑与人类健康相关的更广泛的因素以及环境对微生物组的影响,来划定“什么定义了健康的微生物组?”。健康的微生物组无疑与肠道健康有关。然而,由于除了微生物组组成之外,肠道功能的测量非常复杂,因此很难确定一个普遍接受的“肠道健康”定义。我们必须考虑个体差异、饮食、生活方式、宿主和环境因素的影响。此外,在区分肠道微生物组与整体健康之间的因果关系和相关性方面还存在挑战。
该综述还强调了全面肠道健康评估的资源密集性质,这阻碍了其实用性和广泛应用。最后,我们呼吁继续进行研究并采取细致的方法来更好地理解肠道健康这一复杂且不断发展的概念,强调在研究微生物组时需要更精确和包容的定义和方法。
Gut. 2024-10-7
Microbiome. 2024-6-21
Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer. 2023-11
J Hepatol. 2022-6
Int J Mol Sci. 2024-9-8
J Microbiol. 2024-3
Diabetes Obes Metab. 2018-11-20
Curr Neuropharmacol. 2024
Mol Psychiatry. 2025-8-27
Microbiologyopen. 2025-8
iScience. 2024-7-5
Clin Microbiol Rev. 2024-9-12
Cell Host Microbe. 2024-6-12
Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2024-5