Integrative Approaches to Gut Microbiota: Biomarkers, Dysbiosis, and Therapeutic Potential.

The human gut contains bacteria, viruses, and archaea that influence health depending on age, diet, and location. An individual harbours about 150 bacterial species. An imbalance of these microorganisms, known as dysbiosis, can negatively impact health. Commensal bacteria maintain microbial homeostasis by building short chain fatty acids. The 2-way communication channel that connects the gut and the brain is referred to as the gut-brain axis. Dysbiosis of the gut leads to some autoimmune diseases. A decline of beneficial bacteria causes the progression of rheumatoid arthritis. Gut dysbiosis increases intestinal permeability, allowing toxins and cytokines to enter the bloodstream and damage neurons. Through interactions with the immune system, the gut microbiota plays a complex role in both health and disease, including contributing to the development of type 1 diabetes. This review stresses the need to integrate measures to identify microbial biomarkers and also metabolic and genetic interplay between the microbiome and health.