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Mayes C, Meloni M. Forgetting how we ate: personalised nutrition and the strategic uses of history. HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF THE LIFE SCIENCES 2024; 46:14. [PMID: 38453802 PMCID: PMC10920492 DOI: 10.1007/s40656-024-00613-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Personalised nutrition (PN) has emerged over the past twenty years as a promising area of research in the postgenomic era and has been popularized as the new big thing out of molecular biology. Advocates of PN claim that previous approaches to nutrition sought general and universal guidance that applied to all people. In contrast, they contend that PN operates with the principle that "one size does not fit all" when it comes to dietary guidance. While the molecular mechanisms studied within PN are new, the notion of a personal dietary regime guided by medical advice has a much longer history that can be traced back to Galen's "On Food and Diet" or Ibn Sina's (westernized as Avicenna) "Canon of Medicine". Yet this history is either wholly ignored or misleadingly appropriated by PN proponents. This (mis)use of history, we argue helps to sustain the hype of the novelty of the proposed field and potential commodification of molecular advice that undermines longer histories of food management in premodern and non-Western cultures. Moreover, it elides how the longer history of nutritional advice always happened in a heavily moralized, gendered, and racialized context deeply entwined with collective technologies of power, not just individual advice. This article aims at offering a wider appreciation of this longer history to nuance the hype and exceptionalism surrounding contemporary claims.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Mayes
- School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.
| | - Maurizio Meloni
- School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
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Cole J, Mughal AN, Eltholth M, Thomas A, Holmes M. Transdisciplinary approaches to addressing factors that influence antimicrobial use in dairy cattle: A scoping review. Heliyon 2024; 10:e25550. [PMID: 38379999 PMCID: PMC10877173 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Interest in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) associated with livestock farming is increasing. During the 1990s, 30-40 academic papers a year on the use of antibiotics in dairy farming were indexed on the scientific database PubMed, but this has grown to more than 200 a year in the 2020s. Most (85%) of these papers are published in veterinary or livestock science journals. There has been a corresponding increase in social science interest in why responsible antibiotic stewardship in the livestock sector is so challenging. However, most social science insights are published in journals specific to the lead authors' field(s), missing opportunities for knowledge translation to veterinary and animal science. This threatens to inhibit the transdisciplinary One Health approaches required to tackle the problem. Between 1 June and 31 December 2021, we undertook a scoping review of papers on the use of antibiotics in dairy farming indexed in PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science. Our aim was to identify studies that incorporate social science approaches and methodologies, and to note the main field of the journal in which these studies are published. Papers were most likely to be published in veterinary science, dairy science and/or livestock science journals (61, 29 and 18 respectively out of 127 papers) and were most likely to be concerned with antibiotic use, prescribing practice, and/or diagnosis (94%, 39% and 33% of included papers respectively). Only 27% of papers meeting our inclusion criteria included a qualitative approach to understanding reasons for antibiotic use. Even fewer acknowledged underlying drivers of behaviour, whereas such reasons are frequently highlighted in social science literature. Thus, to address the global health threat from antibiotic resistance, more work is needed to bring together the disparate but equally valid disciplines, methodologies and researchers working on antibiotic use in the livestock sector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Cole
- Department of Health Studies, School of Life Sciences and the Environment, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham Hill, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, United Kingdom
| | - Amtul Noor Mughal
- Department of Health Studies, School of Life Sciences and the Environment, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham Hill, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, United Kingdom
| | - Mahmoud Eltholth
- Department of Health Studies, School of Life Sciences and the Environment, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham Hill, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, United Kingdom
- Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Security, The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and the Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Abin Thomas
- Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Security, The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and the Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Mark Holmes
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Brostow DP, Donovan M, Penzenik M, Stamper CE, Spark T, Lowry CA, Ishaq SL, Hoisington AJ, Brenner LA. Food desert residence has limited impact on veteran fecal microbiome composition: a U.S. Veteran Microbiome Project study. mSystems 2023; 8:e0071723. [PMID: 37874170 PMCID: PMC10734509 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00717-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Social and economic inequities can have a profound impact on human health. The inequities could result in alterations to the gut microbiome, an important factor that may have profound abilities to alter health outcomes. Moreover, the strong correlations between social and economic inequities have been long understood. However, to date, limited research regarding the microbiome and mental health within the context of socioeconomic inequities exists. One particular inequity that may influence both mental health and the gut microbiome is living in a food desert. Persons living in food deserts may lack access to sufficient and/or nutritious food and often experience other inequities, such as increased exposure to air pollution and poor access to healthcare. Together, these factors may confer a unique risk for microbial perturbation. Indeed, external factors beyond a food desert might compound over time to have a lasting effect on an individual's gut microbiome. Therefore, adoption of a life-course approach is expected to increase the ecological validity of research related to social inequities, the gut microbiome, and physical and mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana P. Brostow
- VA Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center (RMRVAMC), Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Military and Veteran Microbiome Consortium for Research and Education, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Meghan Donovan
- VA Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center (RMRVAMC), Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Molly Penzenik
- VA Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center (RMRVAMC), Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Christopher E. Stamper
- VA Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center (RMRVAMC), Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Military and Veteran Microbiome Consortium for Research and Education, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Talia Spark
- VA Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center (RMRVAMC), Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Christopher A. Lowry
- VA Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center (RMRVAMC), Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Military and Veteran Microbiome Consortium for Research and Education, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
- Center for Neuroscience and Center for Microbial Exploration, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Suzanne L. Ishaq
- School of Food and Agriculture, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA
| | - Andrew J. Hoisington
- VA Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center (RMRVAMC), Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Military and Veteran Microbiome Consortium for Research and Education, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department of Systems Engineering & Management, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, Ohio, USA
| | - Lisa A. Brenner
- VA Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center (RMRVAMC), Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Military and Veteran Microbiome Consortium for Research and Education, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
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Fasel C, Chiapperino L. Between the genotype and the phenotype lies the microbiome: symbiosis and the making of 'postgenomic' knowledge. HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF THE LIFE SCIENCES 2023; 45:43. [PMID: 38055153 PMCID: PMC10700207 DOI: 10.1007/s40656-023-00599-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Emphatic claims of a "microbiome revolution" aside, the study of the gut microbiota and its role in organismal development and evolution is a central feature of so-called postgenomics; namely, a conceptual and/or practical turn in contemporary life sciences, which departs from genetic determinism and reductionism to explore holism, emergentism and complexity in biological knowledge-production. This paper analyses the making of postgenomic knowledge about developmental symbiosis in Drosophila melanogaster by a specific group of microbiome scientists. Drawing from both practical philosophy of science and Science and Technology Studies, the paper documents epistemological questions of artefactuality and representativeness of model organisms as they emerge in the day-to-day labour producing and being produced by the "microbiome revolution." Specifically, the paper builds on all the written and editorial exchanges involved in the troubled publication of a research paper studying the symbiotic role of the microbiota in the flies' development. These written materials permit us to delimit the network of justifications, evidence, standards of knowledge-production, trust in the tools and research designs that make up the conditions of possibility of a postgenomic fact. More than reframing the organism as a radically novel multiplicity of reactive genomes, we conclude, doing postgenomic research on the microbiota and symbiosis means producing a story that deviates from the scripts embedded into the sociotechnical experimental systems of post-Human Genome Project life sciences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cécile Fasel
- STS Lab, Institute of Social Sciences, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, University of Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Luca Chiapperino
- STS Lab, Institute of Social Sciences, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, University of Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Taylor JY, Barcelona V, Magny-Normilus C, Wright ML, Jones-Patten A, Prescott L, Potts-Thompson S, Santos HP. A roadmap for social determinants of health and biological nursing research in the National Institute of Nursing Research 2022-2026 Strategic Plan: Optimizing health and advancing health equity using antiracist framing. Nurs Outlook 2023; 71:102059. [PMID: 37863707 PMCID: PMC10803078 DOI: 10.1016/j.outlook.2023.102059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Health equity is essential for improving the well-being of all individuals and groups, and research remains a critical element for understanding barriers to health equity. While considering how to best support research that acknowledges current health challenges, it is crucial to understand the role of social justice frameworks within health equity research and the contributions of minoritized researchers. Additionally, there should be an increased understanding of the influence of social determinants of health on biological mechanisms. PURPOSE Biological health equity research seeks to understand and address health disparities among historically excluded populations. DISCUSSION While there are examples of studies in this area led by minoritized researchers, some individuals and groups remain understudied due to underfunding. Research within minoritized populations must be prioritized to authentically achieve health equity. Furthermore, there should be increased funding from National Institutes of Health to support minoritized researchers working in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacquelyn Y Taylor
- Center for Research on People of Color, Columbia University School of Nursing, New York, NY.
| | - Veronica Barcelona
- Center for Research on People of Color, Columbia University School of Nursing, New York, NY
| | | | | | | | - Laura Prescott
- Center for Research on People of Color, Columbia University School of Nursing, New York, NY
| | | | - Hudson P Santos
- School of Nursing & Health Studies, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL
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Farmer N, Maki KA, Barb JJ, Jones KK, Yang L, Baumer Y, Powell-Wiley TM, Wallen GR. Geographic social vulnerability is associated with the alpha diversity of the human microbiome. mSystems 2023; 8:e0130822. [PMID: 37642431 PMCID: PMC10654076 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.01308-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE As a risk factor for conditions related to the microbiome, understanding the role of SVI on microbiome diversity may assist in identifying public health implications for microbiome research. Here we found, using a sub-sample of the Human Microbiome Project phase 1 cohort, that SVI was linked to microbiome diversity across body sites and that SVI may influence race/ethnicity-based differences in diversity. Our findings, build on the current knowledge regarding the role of human geography in microbiome research, suggest that measures of geographic social vulnerability be considered as additional contextual factors when exploring microbiome alpha diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Farmer
- Translational Biobehavioral and Health Disparities Branch, National Institutes of Health, Clinical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Katherine A. Maki
- Translational Biobehavioral and Health Disparities Branch, National Institutes of Health, Clinical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Jennifer J. Barb
- Translational Biobehavioral and Health Disparities Branch, National Institutes of Health, Clinical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Kelly K. Jones
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Li Yang
- Translational Biobehavioral and Health Disparities Branch, National Institutes of Health, Clinical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Yvonne Baumer
- Social Determinants of Obesity and Cardiovascular Risk Laboratory, Division of Intramural Research, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Tiffany M. Powell-Wiley
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- Social Determinants of Obesity and Cardiovascular Risk Laboratory, Division of Intramural Research, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Gwenyth R. Wallen
- Translational Biobehavioral and Health Disparities Branch, National Institutes of Health, Clinical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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Bader AC, Van Zuylen EM, Handsley-Davis M, Alegado RA, Benezra A, Pollet RM, Ehau-Taumaunu H, Weyrich LS, Anderson MZ. A relational framework for microbiome research with Indigenous communities. Nat Microbiol 2023; 8:1768-1776. [PMID: 37770743 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-023-01471-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023]
Abstract
Ethical practices in human microbiome research have failed to keep pace with scientific advances in the field. Researchers seeking to 'preserve' microbial species associated with Indigenous groups, but absent from industrialized populations, have largely failed to include Indigenous people in knowledge co-production or benefit, perpetuating a legacy of intellectual and material extraction. We propose a framework centred on relationality among Indigenous peoples, researchers and microbes, to guide ethical microbiome research. Our framework centres accountability to flatten historical power imbalances that favour researcher perspectives and interests to provide space for Indigenous worldviews in pursuit of Indigenous research sovereignty. Ethical inclusion of Indigenous communities in microbiome research can provide health benefits for all populations and reinforce mutually beneficial partnerships between researchers and the public.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa C Bader
- Department of Anthropology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
| | - Essie M Van Zuylen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin North, Dunedin, New Zealand
- School of Product Design, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Matilda Handsley-Davis
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage (CABAH), University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Rosanna A Alegado
- Department of Oceanography, University of Hawai'i Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Amber Benezra
- Department of Science and Technology Studies, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ, USA
| | | | - Hanareia Ehau-Taumaunu
- Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA
| | - Laura S Weyrich
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage (CABAH), University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA
| | - Matthew Z Anderson
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
- Center for Genomic Science Innovation, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
- Laboratory of Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
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Manus MB, Sardaro MLS, Dada O, Davis MI, Romoff MR, Torello SG, Ubadigbo E, Wu RC, Miller ES, Amato KR. Interactions with alloparents are associated with the diversity of infant skin and fecal bacterial communities in Chicago, United States. Am J Hum Biol 2023:e23972. [PMID: 37632331 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Social interactions shape the infant microbiome by providing opportunities for caregivers to spread bacteria through physical contact. With most research focused on the impact of maternal-infant contact on the infant gut microbiome, it is unclear how alloparents (i.e., caregivers other than the parents) influence the bacterial communities of infant body sites that are frequently contacted during bouts of caregiving, including the skin. METHODS To begin to understand how allocare may influence the diversity of the infant microbiome, detailed questionnaire data on infant-alloparent relationships and specific allocare behaviors were coupled with skin and fecal microbiome samples (four body sites) from 48 infants living in Chicago, United States. RESULTS Data from 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing indicated that infant skin and fecal bacterial diversity showed strong associations (positive and negative) to having female adult alloparents. Alloparental feeding and co-sleeping displayed stronger associations to infant bacterial diversity compared to playing or holding. The associations with allocare behaviors differed in magnitude and direction across infant body sites. Bacterial relative abundances varied by infant-alloparent relationship and breastfeeding status. CONCLUSION This study provides some of the first evidence of an association between allocare and infant skin and fecal bacterial diversity. The results suggest that infants' exposure to bacteria from the social environment may vary based on infant-alloparent relationships and allocare behaviors. Since the microbiome influences immune system development, variation in allocare that impacts the diversity of infant bacterial communities may be an underexplored dimension of the social determinants of health in early life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa B Manus
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Maria Luisa Savo Sardaro
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
- Department of Human Science and Promotion of the Quality of Life, University of San Raffaele, Rome, Italy
| | - Omolola Dada
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Maya I Davis
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Melissa R Romoff
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Stephanie G Torello
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Esther Ubadigbo
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Rebecca C Wu
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Emily S Miller
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Katherine R Amato
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
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Oliveira LMA, Kozik A, Milligan-McClellan K, Hagan AK. Editorial: Advancing social equity through microbiology. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1260284. [PMID: 37600937 PMCID: PMC10434235 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1260284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Laura M. A. Oliveira
- Departamento de Microbiologia Médica, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Ariangela Kozik
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | | | - Ada K. Hagan
- Alliance SciComm & Consulting, LLC, Russellville, TN, United States
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Manara S, Selma-Royo M, Huang KD, Asnicar F, Armanini F, Blanco-Miguez A, Cumbo F, Golzato D, Manghi P, Pinto F, Valles-Colomer M, Amoroso L, Corrias MV, Ponzoni M, Raffaetà R, Cabrera-Rubio R, Olcina M, Pasolli E, Collado MC, Segata N. Maternal and food microbial sources shape the infant microbiome of a rural Ethiopian population. Curr Biol 2023; 33:1939-1950.e4. [PMID: 37116481 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
The human microbiome seeding starts at birth, when pioneer microbes are acquired mainly from the mother. Mode of delivery, antibiotic prophylaxis, and feeding method have been studied as modulators of mother-to-infant microbiome transmission, but other key influencing factors like modern westernized lifestyles with high hygienization, high-calorie diets, and urban settings, compared with non-westernized lifestyles have not been investigated yet. In this study, we explored the mother-infant sharing of characterized and uncharacterized microbiome members via strain-resolved metagenomics in a cohort of Ethiopian mothers and infants, and we compared them with four other cohorts with different lifestyles. The westernized and non-westernized newborns' microbiomes composition overlapped during the first months of life more than later in life, likely reflecting similar initial breast-milk-based diets. Ethiopian and other non-westernized infants shared a smaller fraction of the microbiome with their mothers than did most westernized populations, despite showing a higher microbiome diversity, and uncharacterized species represented a substantial fraction of those shared in the Ethiopian cohort. Moreover, we identified uncharacterized species belonging to the Selenomonadaceae and Prevotellaceae families specifically present and shared only in the Ethiopian cohort, and we showed that a locally produced fermented food, injera, can contribute to the higher diversity observed in the Ethiopian infants' gut with bacteria that are not part of the human microbiome but are acquired through fermented food consumption. Taken together, these findings highlight the fact that lifestyle can impact the gut microbiome composition not only through differences in diet, drug consumption, and environmental factors but also through its effect on mother-infant strain-sharing patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Manara
- Department of Cellular Computational and Integrative Biology, Via Sommarive 9, Povo, Trento 38123, Italy
| | - Marta Selma-Royo
- Department of Cellular Computational and Integrative Biology, Via Sommarive 9, Povo, Trento 38123, Italy; Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology- National Research Council (IATA-CSIC), C/ Catedrático Agustín Escardino Benlloch, 7, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Kun D Huang
- Department of Cellular Computational and Integrative Biology, Via Sommarive 9, Povo, Trento 38123, Italy
| | - Francesco Asnicar
- Department of Cellular Computational and Integrative Biology, Via Sommarive 9, Povo, Trento 38123, Italy
| | - Federica Armanini
- Department of Cellular Computational and Integrative Biology, Via Sommarive 9, Povo, Trento 38123, Italy
| | - Aitor Blanco-Miguez
- Department of Cellular Computational and Integrative Biology, Via Sommarive 9, Povo, Trento 38123, Italy
| | - Fabio Cumbo
- Department of Cellular Computational and Integrative Biology, Via Sommarive 9, Povo, Trento 38123, Italy
| | - Davide Golzato
- Department of Cellular Computational and Integrative Biology, Via Sommarive 9, Povo, Trento 38123, Italy
| | - Paolo Manghi
- Department of Cellular Computational and Integrative Biology, Via Sommarive 9, Povo, Trento 38123, Italy
| | - Federica Pinto
- Department of Cellular Computational and Integrative Biology, Via Sommarive 9, Povo, Trento 38123, Italy
| | - Mireia Valles-Colomer
- Department of Cellular Computational and Integrative Biology, Via Sommarive 9, Povo, Trento 38123, Italy
| | - Loredana Amoroso
- Oncology Unit, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Via Gerolamo Gaslini 5, 16147 Genoa, Italy
| | - Maria Valeria Corrias
- Laboratory of Experimental Therapies in Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Via Gerolamo Gaslini 5, 16147 Genoa, Italy
| | - Mirco Ponzoni
- Laboratory of Experimental Therapies in Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Via Gerolamo Gaslini 5, 16147 Genoa, Italy
| | - Roberta Raffaetà
- Ca' Foscari University Venice, Department of Philosophy and Cultural Heritage and NICHE, Malcanton Marcorà, Dorsoduro 3484/D, 30123 Venice, Italy
| | - Raul Cabrera-Rubio
- Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology- National Research Council (IATA-CSIC), C/ Catedrático Agustín Escardino Benlloch, 7, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Mari Olcina
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitat de València, Av. Vicent Andrés Estellés s/n, Burjassot, Valencia 46100, Spain
| | - Edoardo Pasolli
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Università 100, 80055 Portici, Naples, Italy.
| | - Maria Carmen Collado
- Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology- National Research Council (IATA-CSIC), C/ Catedrático Agustín Escardino Benlloch, 7, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain.
| | - Nicola Segata
- Department of Cellular Computational and Integrative Biology, Via Sommarive 9, Povo, Trento 38123, Italy.
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Farmer N, Baginski A, Alkhatib J, Maki KA, Baumer Y, Powell-Wiley TM, Wallen GR. Neighbourhood environment as a risk factor for adverse health outcomes through association with the microbiome: protocol for a scoping review. BMJ Open 2023; 13:e066913. [PMID: 36898756 PMCID: PMC10008260 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-066913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The connection of the microbiome to human health intersects with the physical environment of humans. Each microbiome location can be influenced by environmental conditions that relate to specific geographical locations, which in turn are influenced by social determinants of health such as a neighbourhood. The objective of this scoping review is to explore the current evidence on the relationships between microbiome and neighbourhood to explain microbiome-related health outcomes. METHODS AND ANALYSIS Arksey and O'Malley's literature review framework will be employed throughout the process, as well as Page, et al's 2020 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis updated workflow to process search results. The literature search will be completed using PubMed/Medline (NLM), Embase (Elsevier), Web of Science, Core Collection (Clarivate Analytics), Scopus (Elsevier), medRxiv preprint server and Open Science Framework server. The search will be conducted using a list of pre-identified Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms relating to neighbourhood, microbiome and individual characteristics. There will be no date or language restrictions used in the search. In order to be included in the study, a piece must include an evaluation of the relationship between microbiome diversity and neighbourhood (including at least one measurement of the neighbourhood and at least one human microbiome site). Excluded from the review will be those works that do not include all of these measures, literature reviews based on secondary sources and postmortem populations with no report of premortem health factors. The review itself will be an iterative process completed by two reviewers, with a third individual identified to break ties. Documents will be undergoing a risk assessment of bias in order for the authors to comment on the quality of the literature in this area. Finally, results will be discussed with identified stakeholders, including individuals connected to neighbourhoods facing structural inequity and experts in the topics of study through a community advisory board, for their feedback and knowledge transfer. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION This review does not require ethical approval. Results of this search will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications. Furthermore, this work is completed in conjunction with a community advisory board so as to ensure dissemination to multiple stakeholders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Farmer
- Translational Biobehavioral and Health Disparities Branch, National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Alyssa Baginski
- Translational Biobehavioral and Health Disparities Branch, National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Jenna Alkhatib
- Translational Biobehavioral and Health Disparities Branch, National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Katherine A Maki
- Translational Biobehavioral and Health Disparities Branch, National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Yvonne Baumer
- The Social Determinants of Obesity and Cardiovascular Risk Laboratory, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Tiffany M Powell-Wiley
- The Social Determinants of Obesity and Cardiovascular Risk Laboratory, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Gwenyth R Wallen
- Translational Biobehavioral and Health Disparities Branch, National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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12
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Prescott SL, Logan AC, Bristow J, Rozzi R, Moodie R, Redvers N, Haahtela T, Warber S, Poland B, Hancock T, Berman B. Exiting the Anthropocene: Achieving personal and planetary health in the 21st century. Allergy 2022; 77:3498-3512. [PMID: 35748742 PMCID: PMC10083953 DOI: 10.1111/all.15419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Planetary health provides a perspective of ecological interdependence that connects the health and vitality of individuals, communities, and Earth's natural systems. It includes the social, political, and economic ecosystems that influence both individuals and whole societies. In an era of interconnected grand challenges threatening health of all systems at all scales, planetary health provides a framework for cross-sectoral collaboration and unified systems approaches to solutions. The field of allergy is at the forefront of these efforts. Allergic conditions are a sentinel measure of environmental impact on human health in early life-illuminating how ecological changes affect immune development and predispose to a wider range of inflammatory noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). This shows how adverse macroscale ecology in the Anthropocene penetrates to the molecular level of personal and microscale ecology, including the microbial systems at the foundations of all ecosystems. It provides the basis for more integrated efforts to address widespread environmental degradation and adverse effects of maladaptive urbanization, food systems, lifestyle behaviors, and socioeconomic disadvantage. Nature-based solutions and efforts to improve nature-relatedness are crucial for restoring symbiosis, balance, and mutualism in every sense, recognizing that both personal lifestyle choices and collective structural actions are needed in tandem. Ultimately, meaningful ecological approaches will depend on placing greater emphasis on psychological and cultural dimensions such as mindfulness, values, and moral wisdom to ensure a sustainable and resilient future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan L Prescott
- Medical School, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia.,Nova Institute for Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,ORIGINS Project, Telethon Kids Institute at Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, WA, Australia
| | - Alan C Logan
- Nova Institute for Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Ricardo Rozzi
- Cape Horn International Center (CHIC), University of Magallanes, Puerto Williams, Chile.,Philosophy and Religion, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, USA
| | - Rob Moodie
- School of Population and Global Health (MSPGH), University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., Australia
| | - Nicole Redvers
- School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA
| | - Tari Haahtela
- Skin and Allergy Hospital, Helsinki University Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sara Warber
- Nova Institute for Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Department of Family Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Blake Poland
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Trevor Hancock
- School of Public Health and Social Policy, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Brian Berman
- Nova Institute for Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Department of Family and Community Medicine, Center for Integrative Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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13
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Robinson JM, Mavoa S, Robinson K, Brindley P. Urban centre green metrics in Great Britain: A geospatial and socioecological study. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0276962. [PMID: 36417343 PMCID: PMC9683550 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0276962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Green infrastructure plays a vital role in urban ecosystems. This includes sustaining biodiversity and human health. Despite a large number of studies investigating greenspace disparities in suburban areas, no known studies have compared the green attributes (e.g., trees, greenness, and greenspaces) of urban centres. Consequently, there may be uncharacterised socioecological disparities between the cores of urban areas (e.g., city centres). This is important because people spend considerable time in urban centres due to employment, retail and leisure opportunities. Therefore, the availability of--and disparities in--green infrastructure in urban centres can affect many lives and potentially underscore a socio-ecological justice issue. To facilitate comparisons between urban centres in Great Britain, we analysed open data of urban centre boundaries with a central business district and population of ≥100,000 (n = 68). Given the various elements that contribute to 'greenness', we combine a range of different measurements (trees, greenness, and accessible greenspaces) into a single indicator. We applied the normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) to estimate the mean greenness of urban centres and the wider urban area (using a 1 km buffer) and determined the proportion of publicly accessible greenspace within each urban centre with Ordnance Survey Open Greenspace data. Finally, we applied a land cover classification algorithm using i-Tree Canopy to estimate tree coverage. This is the first study to define and rank urban centres based on multiple green attributes. The results suggest important differences in the proportion of green attributes between urban centres. For instance, Exeter scored the highest with a mean NDVI of 0.15, a tree coverage of 11.67%, and an OS Greenspace coverage of 0.05%, and Glasgow the lowest with a mean NDVI of 0.02, a tree cover of 1.95% and an OS Greenspace coverage of 0.00%. We also demonstrated that population size negatively associated with greenness and tree coverage, but not greenspaces, and that green attributes negatively associated with deprivation. This is important because it suggests that health-promoting and biodiversity-supporting resources diminish as population and deprivation increase. Disparities in green infrastructure across the country, along with the population and deprivation-associated trends, are important in terms of socioecological and equity justice. This study provides a baseline and stimulus to help local authorities and urban planners create and monitor equitable greening interventions in urban/city centres.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jake M. Robinson
- Department of Landscape Architecture, Arts Tower, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- inVIVO Planetary Health, of the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN), West New York, NJ, United States of America
- * E-mail: (JMR); (PB)
| | - Suzanne Mavoa
- Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Environmental Public Health Branch, Environment Protection Authority Victoria, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Kate Robinson
- Data Insight Team, Arts Tower, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Brindley
- Department of Landscape Architecture, Arts Tower, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (JMR); (PB)
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14
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Perspectives on Inequity and Health Disparities in Chile and Their Relationship to Microbial Ecology. mSystems 2022; 7:e0149621. [PMID: 36173132 PMCID: PMC9600356 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.01496-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Among countries in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Chile stands out as having important inequalities in income distribution, dietary quality, access to urban green spaces, and health outcomes. People in lower socioeconomic groups consistently show higher rates of noncommunicable chronic diseases and are being hit the hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic. These chronic conditions are increasingly considered to be shaped, or affected by, the human gut microbiome. Moreover, inequity as an overarching concept might also be associated with microbial patterns and if so, this may represent a novel pathway through which to address health and other disparities. Focusing on the case of Chile, our goal is to contribute to a critical discussion and motivate researchers and policymakers to consider the role of the microbiome in social equity in future endeavors.
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15
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Organized Violence and Organized Abandonment Beyond the Human: the Case of Brucellosis among Palestinians in Israel. mSystems 2022; 7:e0149921. [PMID: 35467394 PMCID: PMC9239222 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.01499-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
This article explores how brucellosis became a racialized disease in Israel, where almost all patients are Palestinians. Informed by legal and historical research, the article demonstrates how colonial and settler-colonial policies have targeted Palestinians and their goats and contributed to the distribution of brucellosis along ethno-national lines. Goats, once ubiquitous to the landscape, became enemies of the Israeli state and were blamed for the “destruction” of nature. Under Israeli rule, legal policies not only seized and confiscated Palestinian land but also targeted goat grazing and led to a steep reduction in the number of goats. The resulting depeasantization and concentration of Palestinians in dense poor townships shaped goat grazing as a backyard practice with lack of trust in the hostile state and its brucellosis eradication campaigns. We argue that state policies of organized violence and organized abandonment have shaped the current ecology of brucellosis as a racialized disease. IMPORTANCE The importance of this article is the novelty in combining public health, colonial studies, and legal research to understand the ecology of human brucellosis. This approach allows us to move from a “snap-shot” reading of diseases and cultural practices toward a reading of bacteria, animals, and humans within their political and historical context. The article uses a settler colonial lens to examine the racialized distribution of human brucellosis in Israel and traces colonial policies toward Palestinians and goats—both seen as unwanted intruders to the newly established Israeli nation state. We place these policies in a context of organized violence and organized abandonment, building on the work of Ruth Wilson Gilmore to read the power hierarchies of humans, animals, and diseases and how they shape practices and disease.
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16
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Reciprocal Inclusion of Microbiomes and Environmental Justice Contributes Solutions to Global Environmental Health Challenges. mSystems 2022; 7:e0146221. [PMID: 35642845 PMCID: PMC9239259 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.01462-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Generations of colonialism, industrialization, intensive agriculture, and anthropogenic climate change have radically altered global ecosystems and by extension, their environmental microbiomes. The environmental consequences of global change disproportionately burden racialized communities, those with lower socioeconomic status, and other systematically underserved populations. Environmental justice seeks to balance the relationships between environmental burden, beneficial ecosystem functions, and local communities. Given their direct links to human and ecosystem health, microbes are embedded within social and environmental justice. Considering scientific and technological advances is becoming an important step in developing actionable solutions to global equity challenges. Here we identify areas where inclusion of microbial knowledge and research can support planetary health goals. We offer guidelines for strengthening a reciprocal integration of environmental justice into environmental microbiology research. Microbes form intimate relationships with the environment and society, thus microbiologists have numerous and unique opportunities to incorporate equity into their research, teaching, and community engagement.
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17
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Webb SE, Teullet S, Stothart MR. Growing and maintaining a network for early career researchers through the Animal Microbiome Research Group. Evol Anthropol 2022; 31:108-111. [PMID: 35150176 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shasta E Webb
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - Mason R Stothart
- Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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18
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Palacios-García I, Mhuireach GA, Grasso-Cladera A, Cryan JF, Parada FJ. The 4E approach to the human microbiome: Nested interactions between the gut-brain/body system within natural and built environments. Bioessays 2022; 44:e2100249. [PMID: 35338496 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202100249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 03/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The complexity of the human mind and its interaction with the environment is one of the main epistemological debates throughout history. Recent ideas, framed as the 4E perspective to cognition, highlight that human experience depends causally on both cerebral and extracranial processes, but also is embedded in a particular sociomaterial context and is a product of historical accumulation of trajectory changes throughout life. Accordingly, the human microbiome is one of the most intriguing actors modulating brain function and physiology. Here, we present the 4E approach to the Human Microbiome for understanding mental processes from a broader perspective, encompassing one's body physiology and environment throughout their lifespan, interconnected by microbiome community structure and dynamics. We review evidence supporting the approach theoretically and motivates the study of the global set of microbial ecosystem networks encountered by a person across their lifetime (from skin to gut to natural and built environments). We furthermore trace future empirical implementation of the approach. We finally discuss novel research opportunities and clinical interventions aimed toward developing low-cost/high-benefit integrative and personalized bio-psycho-socio-environmental treatments for mental health and including the brain-gut-microbiome axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ismael Palacios-García
- Centro de Estudios en Neurociencia Humana y Neuropsicología. Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile.,Laboratorio de Psicofisiología, Escuela de Psicología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Gwynne A Mhuireach
- Biology and the Built Environment Center, University of Oregon, Oregon, USA
| | - Aitana Grasso-Cladera
- Centro de Estudios en Neurociencia Humana y Neuropsicología. Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile
| | - John F Cryan
- Department of Anatomy & Neuroscience, School of Medicine, College of Medicine & Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.,APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Francisco J Parada
- Centro de Estudios en Neurociencia Humana y Neuropsicología. Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile
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19
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Höll D, Bossert LN. Introducing the microbiome: Interdisciplinary perspectives. ENDEAVOUR 2022; 46:100817. [PMID: 35667903 PMCID: PMC9412664 DOI: 10.1016/j.endeavour.2022.100817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Davina Höll
- Institute for Ethics and History of Medicine, Cluster of Excellence "Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections" (CMFI), University of Tübingen.
| | - Leonie N Bossert
- International Center for Ethics in the Sciences and Humanities (IZEW), University of Tübingen
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20
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Abdill RJ, Adamowicz EM, Blekhman R. Public human microbiome data are dominated by highly developed countries. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001536. [PMID: 35167588 PMCID: PMC8846514 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The importance of sampling from globally representative populations has been well established in human genomics. In human microbiome research, however, we lack a full understanding of the global distribution of sampling in research studies. This information is crucial to better understand global patterns of microbiome-associated diseases and to extend the health benefits of this research to all populations. Here, we analyze the country of origin of all 444,829 human microbiome samples that are available from the world’s 3 largest genomic data repositories, including the Sequence Read Archive (SRA). The samples are from 2,592 studies of 19 body sites, including 220,017 samples of the gut microbiome. We show that more than 71% of samples with a known origin come from Europe, the United States, and Canada, including 46.8% from the US alone, despite the country representing only 4.3% of the global population. We also find that central and southern Asia is the most underrepresented region: Countries such as India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh account for more than a quarter of the world population but make up only 1.8% of human microbiome samples. These results demonstrate a critical need to ensure more global representation of participants in microbiome studies. The importance of sampling from globally representative populations has been well established in human genomics, but what about the microbiome? This study shows that metadata from almost half a million samples reveals worldwide human microbiome research is skewed heavily in favor of Europe and North America and excludes large but less developed nations in Asia and Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J. Abdill
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth M. Adamowicz
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Ran Blekhman
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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21
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Bile Acids, Gut Microbes, and the Neighborhood Food Environment-a Potential Driver of Colorectal Cancer Health Disparities. mSystems 2022; 7:e0117421. [PMID: 35103491 PMCID: PMC8805634 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.01174-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Bile acids (BAs) facilitate nutrient digestion and absorption and act as signaling molecules in a number of metabolic and inflammatory pathways. Expansion of the BA pool and increased exposure to microbial BA metabolites has been associated with increased colorectal cancer (CRC) risk. It is well established that diet influences systemic BA concentrations and microbial BA metabolism. Therefore, consumption of nutrients that reduce colonic exposure to BAs and microbial BA metabolites may be an effective method for reducing CRC risk, particularly in populations disproportionately burdened by CRC. Individuals who identify as Black/African American (AA/B) have the highest CRC incidence and death in the United States and are more likely to live in a food environment with an inequitable access to BA mitigating nutrients. Thus, this review discusses the current evidence supporting diet as a contributor to CRC disparities through BA-mediated mechanisms and relationships between these mechanisms and barriers to maintaining a low-risk diet.
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22
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Abstract
Social and political policy, human activities, and environmental change affect the ways in which microbial communities assemble and interact with people. These factors determine how different social groups are exposed to beneficial and/or harmful microorganisms, meaning microbial exposure has an important socioecological justice context. Therefore, greater consideration of microbial exposure and social equity in research, planning, and policy is imperative. Here, we identify 20 research questions considered fundamentally important to promoting equitable exposure to beneficial microorganisms, along with safeguarding resilient societies and ecosystems. The 20 research questions we identified span seven broad themes, including the following: (i) sociocultural interactions; (ii) Indigenous community health and well-being; (iii) humans, urban ecosystems, and environmental processes; (iv) human psychology and mental health; (v) microbiomes and infectious diseases; (vi) human health and food security; and (vii) microbiome-related planning, policy, and outreach. Our goal was to summarize this growing field and to stimulate impactful research avenues while providing focus for funders and policymakers.
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Abstract
In this article, we argue that a careful examination of human microbiome science's relationship with race and racism is necessary to foster equitable social and ecological relations in the field. We point to the origins and evolution of the problematic use of race in microbiome literature by demonstrating the increased usage of race both explicitly and implicitly in and beyond the human microbiome sciences. We demonstrate how these uses limit the future of rigorous and just microbiome research. We conclude with an outline of alternative actionable ways to build a more effective, antiracist microbiome science.
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