Gut microbiota-host metabolic axis (GMHMA)

The gut microbiota-host metabolic axis represents the complex, bidirectional communication system between the diverse community of microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract and the host's physiological processes. This ecosystem functions as a virtual organ that influences energy harvest, lipid metabolism, and glucose homeostasis through the production of metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and bile acids (Fan & Pedersen, 2021; Cani, 2019). Dysregulation of this system, known as dysbiosis, is strongly linked to metabolic disorders including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (Lynch & Pedersen, 2016). Therapeutic interventions target this axis through various modalities, including probiotics, prebiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation, aiming to restore a healthy microbial balance and improve host metabolic health (Boulangé et al., 2016). Additionally, common drugs like metformin have been shown to exert part of their therapeutic effect by modulating the gut microbiota composition (Wu et al., 2017). Understanding these ecosystem-level interactions is crucial for developing personalized medicine approaches for metabolic and inflammatory diseases.

Other names

Gut microbiomeIntestinal microbiotaGut-liver axisCommensal floraMicrobiome-metabolism axis

Modulation of microbial composition, production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), alteration of bile acid metabolism, and regulation of gut barrier integrity.