Approaches to discern if microbiome associations reflect causation in metabolic and immune disorders.

ABSTRACT: Our understanding of microorganisms residing within our gut and their roles in the host metabolism and immunity advanced greatly over the past 20 years. Currently, microbiome studies are shifting from association and correlation studies to studies demonstrating causality of identified microbiome signatures and identification of molecular mechanisms underlying these interactions. This transformation is crucial for the efficient translation into clinical application and development of targeted strategies to beneficially modulate the intestinal microbiota. As mechanistic studies are still quite challenging to perform in humans, the causal role of microbiota is frequently evaluated in animal models that need to be appropriately selected. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview on approaches

SUBMITTER: Basic M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9361767 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan-Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature