Faecal microbiota transplantation is better than probiotics for tissue regeneration of type 2 diabetes mellitus injuries in mice

Gut microbial metabolites in MASLD: Implications of mitochondrial dysfunction in the pathogenesis and treatment

With an increasing prevalence, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has become a major global health problem. MASLD is well-known as a multifactorial disease. Mitochondrial dysfunction and alterations in the gut bacteria are 2 vital events in MASLD. Recent studies have highlighted the cross-talk between microbiota and mitochondria, and mitochondria are recognized as pivotal targets of the gut microbiota to modulate the host's physiological state. Mitochondrial dysfunction plays a vital role in MASLD and is associated with multiple pathological changes, including hepatocyte steatosis, oxidative stress, inflammation, and fibrosis. Metabolites are crucial mediators of the gut microbiota that influence extraintestinal organs. Additionally, regulation of the composition of gut bacteria may serve as a promising therapeutic strategy for MASLD. This study reviewed the potential roles of several common metabolites in MASLD, emphasizing their impact on mitochondrial function. Finally, we discuss the current treatments for MASLD, including probiotics, prebiotics, antibiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation. These methods concentrate on restoring the gut microbiota to promote host health.

The emerging role of the gut virome in necrotizing enterocolitis

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is the most common gastrointestinal emergency in neonates, particularly preterm infants. Many factors can lead to NEC, but microbial dysbiosis is one of the most important risk factors that can induce this disease. Given the major role of the gut virome in shaping bacterial homeostasis, virome research is a fledgling but rapidly evolving area in the field of microbiome that is increasingly connected to human diseases, including NEC. This review provides an overview of the development of the gut virome in newborns, discusses its emerging role in NEC, and explores promising therapeutic applications, including phage therapy and fecal virome transplantation.

Advances in fecal microbiota transplantation for the treatment of diabetes mellitus

Diabetes mellitus (DM) refers to a group of chronic diseases with global prevalence, characterized by persistent hyperglycemia resulting from various etiologies. DM can harm various organ systems and lead to acute or chronic complications, which severely endanger human well-being. Traditional treatment mainly involves controlling blood sugar levels through replacement therapy with drugs and insulin; however, some patients still find a satisfactory curative effect difficult to achieve. Extensive research has demonstrated a close correlation between enteric dysbacteriosis and the pathogenesis of various types of DM, paving the way for novel therapeutic approaches targeting the gut microbiota to manage DM. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), a method for re-establishing the intestinal microbiome balance, offers new possibilities for treating diabetes. This article provides a comprehensive review of the correlation between DM and the gut microbiota, as well as the current advancements in FMT treatment for DM, using FMT as an illustrative example. This study aims to offer novel perspectives and establish a theoretical foundation for the clinical diagnosis and management of DM.

Efficacy of fecal microbiota transplantation in type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is one of the common metabolic diseases worldwide, and studies have found significant differences in the composition and ratio of intestinal flora between patients with T2DM and normal glucose tolerance, and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) may modulate the composition of the intestinal microbiota thereby alleviating the hyperglycemic state. We conducted a meta-analysis and systematic review of existing randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to assess the efficacy of FMT in T2DM.

METHODS

We conducted a computer search of PubMed, Embase, The Cochrane Library, and Web of Science to screen randomized controlled trials studies on FMT treatment for T2DM and extracted data from studies that met inclusion criteria. RevMan 5.4 software and Stata 11 software was used for meta-analysis. The indexes of Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), postprandial blood glucose (PBG), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), triglycerides (TG), cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), body mass index (BMI), Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST), Alanine Transaminase (ALT), Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and Diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were mainly evaluated after FMT treatment of T2DM patients, and the changes of intestinal flora were evaluated.

RESULTS

Four RCTs met the inclusion criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. Results of the meta-analysis showed that compared with the non-FMT group, FMT combined treatment could significantly reduce the PBG level in patients with type 2 diabetes (MD = -0.51, 95% CI: -1.42-0.40, P = 0.27). Compared with single FMT treatment, FMT combined treatment could reduce TG levels in patients with type 2 diabetes (MD = -0.60, 95% CI: -1.12~-0.07, P = 0.03). The levels of TG (MD = -0.26, 95% CI: -0.51~-0.02, P = 0.03), HOMA-IR (MD = -2.73, 95% CI: -4.71~0.75, P = 0.007) and HDL (MD = -0.06,95% CI: -0.10~-0.02, P = 0.003) were significantly decreased after treatment in the single FMT group. The level of TC (MD = -0.65, 95% CI: -1.00~-0.31, P = 0.0002) was significantly decreased after FMT combined treatment. Compared with before treatment, ALT (MD = -2.52, 95% CI: -3.86~-1.17, P = 0.0002) and DBP (MD = -2, 95% CI: -3.32~0.68, P = 0.003) levels decreased after treatment in the single FMT group and the FMT combined group. FPG (MD = -0.94, 95% CI: -1.86~-0.02, P = 0.04), TG (MD = -0.73, 95% CI: -1.42~-0.04, P = 0.04) and TC (MD = -0.94, 95% CI: -1.45~-0.43, P = 0.0003) were significantly decreased after combined drug and diet therapy. Secondly, FMT can promote the colonization and growth of donor-related flora in patients with type 2 diabetes.

CONCLUSION

In patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, FMT treatment can reduce the levels of PBG, TG, HOMA-IR, TC, ALT, and DBP, especially in the combined treatment regimen. In addition, FMT can reshape the intestinal flora and establish the balance of dominant flora.

A Taxonomy-Agnostic Approach to Targeted Microbiome Therapeutics-Leveraging Principles of Systems Biology

The study of human microbiomes has yielded insights into basic science, and applied therapeutics are emerging. However, conflicting definitions of what microbiomes are and how they affect the health of the "host" are less understood. A major impediment towards systematic design, discovery, and implementation of targeted microbiome therapeutics is the continued reliance on taxonomic indicators to define microbiomes in health and disease. Such reliance often confounds analyses, potentially suggesting associations where there are none, and conversely failing to identify significant, causal relationships. This review article discusses recent discoveries pointing towards a molecular understanding of microbiome "dysbiosis" and away from a purely taxonomic approach. We highlight the growing role of systems biological principles in the complex interrelationships between the gut microbiome and host cells, and review current approaches commonly used in targeted microbiome therapeutics, including fecal microbial transplant, bacteriophage therapies, and the use of metabolic toxins to selectively eliminate specific taxa from dysbiotic microbiomes. These approaches, however, remain wholly or partially dependent on the bacterial taxa involved in dysbiosis, and therefore may not capitalize fully on many therapeutic opportunities presented at the bioactive molecular level. New technologies capable of addressing microbiome-associated diseases as molecular problems, if solved, will open possibilities of new classes and categories of targeted microbiome therapeutics aimed, in principle, at all dysbiosis-driven disorders.

The role of gut microbiota in liver regeneration

The liver has unique regeneration potential, which ensures the continuous dependence of the human body on hepatic functions. As the composition and function of gut microbiota has been gradually elucidated, the vital role of gut microbiota in liver regeneration through gut-liver axis has recently been accepted. In the process of liver regeneration, gut microbiota composition is changed. Moreover, gut microbiota can contribute to the regulation of the liver immune microenvironment, thereby modulating the release of inflammatory factors including IL-6, TNF-α, HGF, IFN-γ and TGF-β, which involve in different phases of liver regeneration. And previous research have demonstrated that through enterohepatic circulation, bile acids (BAs), lipopolysaccharide, short-chain fatty acids and other metabolites of gut microbiota associate with liver and may promote liver regeneration through various pathways. In this perspective, by summarizing gut microbiota-derived signaling pathways that promote liver regeneration, we unveil the role of gut microbiota in liver regeneration and provide feasible strategies to promote liver regeneration by altering gut microbiota composition.