Microbiome community-level targets

Microbiome community-level targets represent a holistic therapeutic approach focusing on the collective ecosystem of microorganisms inhabiting the human body, particularly the gastrointestinal tract (NIH, 2023). Rather than targeting a single human protein or enzyme, these targets involve the complex interactions and functional outputs of diverse microbial species that maintain host homeostasis (Nature Medicine, 2022). The microbiome plays a vital role in immune system maturation, metabolic regulation, and providing colonization resistance against enteric pathogens (Cell, 2021). Disruptions to this community, known as dysbiosis, are implicated in various diseases including Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), inflammatory bowel disease, and metabolic syndrome (PubMed, 2023). Therapeutic interventions such as Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT) and Live Biotherapeutic Products (LBPs) like Vowst and Rebyota aim to restore ecological balance and functional diversity (FDA, 2023). By modulating the community as a whole, these treatments can influence host physiology through the production of metabolites like short-chain fatty acids and the modification of bile acid pools (Science, 2022).

Other names

Gut microbiotaCommensal floraMicrobial consortiumHuman microbiomeDysbiosis-related targetsMicrobial ecosystem

Restoration of microbial diversity and ecological balance to provide colonization resistance against pathogens and modulate host physiological pathways through metabolite production (e.g., short-chain fatty acids).