Host gut environment

The host gut environment is a complex biological system within the gastrointestinal tract that includes the gut microbiota, the intestinal mucosal barrier, and the enteric immune system (Guinane & Cotter, 2013). It serves vital biological functions such as the fermentation of non-digestible carbohydrates, the synthesis of vitamins, and the regulation of systemic immune homeostasis (Fan & Pedersen, 2021). Dysregulation of this environment, known as dysbiosis, is strongly associated with various pathologies, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), obesity, and type 2 diabetes (Lynch & Pedersen, 2016). Although it is not a single molecular target like a receptor or enzyme, the gut environment is the focus of therapeutic interventions such as probiotics, prebiotics, and fecal microbiota transplants (FMT) which aim to restore microbial diversity and metabolic balance (Khoruts & Sadowsky, 2016). Additionally, non-systemic antibiotics like rifaximin are used to modulate the gut environment to treat conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (Pimentel et al., 2011). Understanding the host-microbe interactions within this environment is crucial for the development of next-generation microbiome-based therapies.

Other names

Gut microbiomeGastrointestinal environmentIntestinal milieuGut microbiota

Modulation of microbial community composition, restoration of colonization resistance, and regulation of metabolite production such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs).