Gut and gastric microbiota

The gut and gastric microbiota represents the vast community of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses, residing in the human digestive tract (NIH, 2022). This complex ecosystem performs vital biological functions such as the fermentation of non-digestible dietary fibers into short-chain fatty acids, the synthesis of vitamins K and B12, and the maturation of the host immune system (Nature Reviews Microbiology, 2020). In the stomach, the microbiota is less diverse but includes key species like Helicobacter pylori, which is a primary driver of peptic ulcers and gastric adenocarcinoma (PubMed, 2019). Dysbiosis, or the disruption of microbial homeostasis, is implicated in numerous systemic and localized diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), obesity, and Clostridioides difficile infections (Cell, 2019). Therapeutic strategies targeting the microbiota include the use of narrow and broad-spectrum antibiotics, probiotics to introduce beneficial strains, and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) to restore diversity (Lancet, 2017). As a therapeutic target, the microbiota is unique because it involves modulating an entire ecological community rather than a single human protein or receptor, which presents significant challenges for standardization and precision targeting.

Other names

Gut microbiomeGastrointestinal microbiotaIntestinal floraGastric floraDigestive tract microbiota

Modulation of microbial community composition, restoration of taxonomic diversity, competitive inhibition of pathogenic species, and alteration of microbial-derived metabolite signaling such as short-chain fatty acids and bile acids.