Department of Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand.
High-Value Nutrition National Science Challenge, Auckland, New Zealand.
mSystems. 2024 Nov 19;9(11):e0090924. doi: 10.1128/msystems.00909-24. Epub 2024 Oct 4.
The gut microbiome plays vital roles in human health, including mediating metabolism, immunity, and the gut-brain axis. Many ethnicities remain underrepresented in gut microbiome research, with significant variation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples due to dietary, socioeconomic, health, and urbanization differences. Although research regarding the microbiomes of Indigenous peoples is increasing, Māori microbiome literature is lacking despite widespread inequities that Māori populations face. These inequities likely contribute to gut microbiome differences that exacerbate negative health outcomes. Characterizing the gut microbiomes of underrepresented populations is necessary to inform efforts to address health inequities. However, for microbiome research to be culturally responsible and meaningful, study design must improve to better protect the rights and interests of Indigenous peoples. Here, we discuss barriers to Indigenous participation in research and the role disparities may play in shaping the gut microbiomes of Indigenous peoples, with a particular focus on implications for Māori and areas for improvement.
肠道微生物群在人类健康中发挥着重要作用，包括调节代谢、免疫和肠道-大脑轴。许多种族在肠道微生物群研究中代表性不足，由于饮食、社会经济、健康和城市化差异，土着和非土着人群之间存在显著差异。尽管关于土着人民微生物组的研究在增加，但毛利人微生物组的文献却很少，尽管毛利人面临着广泛的不平等。这些不平等可能导致肠道微生物组的差异，从而加剧负面健康结果。描述代表性不足的人群的肠道微生物组对于为解决健康不平等问题提供信息是必要的。然而，为了使微生物组研究具有文化责任和意义，研究设计必须改进，以更好地保护土着人民的权利和利益。在这里，我们讨论了土着人参与研究的障碍以及差异可能在塑造土着人民的肠道微生物组方面所起的作用，特别关注对毛利人的影响和改进的领域。
