Although the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 shifted the global research focus of scientists in 2020, great progress has also been made in the field of the gut microbiome. In the context of COVID-19, it is important to ensure that people’s immune systems are well supported. In this regard, good nutrition becomes an important pillar in maintaining the immune system, which is strongly influenced by the composition and functional diversity of the intestinal microbiome. Awareness of the important role of nutrition, the intestinal microbiome and the immune system led to the launch of two GMFH campaigns with the hashtag #GutToKnowYou on behalf of World Digestive Health Day 2020 on May 29th and World Microbiome Day 2020 on June 27th.
In addition to the role of diet in immunity and the host’s susceptibility to COVID-19, many important developments in gut microbiome research were recorded in 2020. This included new mechanisms that highlight the health benefits of fermented foods and the role of the gut microbiome as a marker not only of gut health but also of healthy aging and metabolic health. In this context, the scientists identified novel intestinal bioactive lipids and microbial signatures in metabolic tissues that could represent a new paradigm for obesity and diabetes.
A new synbiotic consensus was also published in 2020, led by a diverse group of experts. The definition of a synbiotic discusses what microorganisms the substrate in a synbiotic must target, defines two different types of synbiotics depending on whether each component works independently or together to achieve health benefits, and updates synbiotic efficacy based on intervention studies in the process People.
Finally, it should also be recognized that not all diseases have the same degree of gut microbiota alteration and that specific microbiota signatures are difficult to identify. In identifying a causal role for the gut microbiota in most diseases, scientists suggest that reverse translational approaches should be used to test the role of defined microbial communities or their functions in relevant mouse models, organoids, and other research tools, rather than focusing on single approaches .
Milestones in the gut microbiome in 2020 came with the increased interest of the GMFH digital community in cutting-edge studies examining how gut microbial communities can be used to prevent and treat gastrointestinal disorders and beyond. Indeed, this scenario caught the attention of 111,100 members with more than 1,240,000 visits in 2020.
Check out this 2020-at-a-Glance report to learn more. And don’t forget to keep following us to stay updated on the breakthroughs in this area in 2021.
