The human microbiota is an aggregate of microorganisms residing in the human body, mostly in the gastrointestinal tract （GIT）. Our gut microbiota evolves with us and plays a pivotal role in human health and disease....The human microbiota is an aggregate of microorganisms residing in the human body, mostly in the gastrointestinal tract （GIT）. Our gut microbiota evolves with us and plays a pivotal role in human health and disease. In recent years, the microbiota has gained increasing attention due to its impact on host metabolism, physiology, and immune system development, but also because the perturbation of the microbiota may result in a number of diseases. The gut microbiota may be linked to malignancies such as gastric cancer and colorectal cancer. It may also be linked to disorders such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease （NAFLD）; obesity and diabetes, which are characterized as ＂lifestyle diseases＂ of the industrial- ized world; coronary heart disease; and neurological disorders. Although the revolution in molecular technologies has provided us with the necessary tools to study the gut microbiota more accurately, we need to elucidate the relationships between the gut microbiota and several human pathologies more precisely, as understanding the impact that the microbiota plays in various diseases is fundamental for the development of novel therapeutic strategies. Therefore, the aim of this review is to provide the read- er with an updated overview of the importance of the gut microbiota for human health and the poten- tial to manipulate gut microbial composition for purposes such as the treatment of antibiotic-resistant Clostridium difficile （C difficile） infections. The concept of altering the gut community by microbial intervention in an effort to improve health is currently in its infancy. However, the therapeutic implications appear to be very great. Thus, the removal of harmful organisms and the enrichment of beneficial mi- crobes may protect our health, and such efforts will pave the way for the development of more rational treatment options in the future.展开更多
基金This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China （21375144 and 21105115） and the National Basic Research Program of China （2012CB934004）.
文摘The human microbiota is an aggregate of microorganisms residing in the human body, mostly in the gastrointestinal tract （GIT）. Our gut microbiota evolves with us and plays a pivotal role in human health and disease. In recent years, the microbiota has gained increasing attention due to its impact on host metabolism, physiology, and immune system development, but also because the perturbation of the microbiota may result in a number of diseases. The gut microbiota may be linked to malignancies such as gastric cancer and colorectal cancer. It may also be linked to disorders such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease （NAFLD）; obesity and diabetes, which are characterized as ＂lifestyle diseases＂ of the industrial- ized world; coronary heart disease; and neurological disorders. Although the revolution in molecular technologies has provided us with the necessary tools to study the gut microbiota more accurately, we need to elucidate the relationships between the gut microbiota and several human pathologies more precisely, as understanding the impact that the microbiota plays in various diseases is fundamental for the development of novel therapeutic strategies. Therefore, the aim of this review is to provide the read- er with an updated overview of the importance of the gut microbiota for human health and the poten- tial to manipulate gut microbial composition for purposes such as the treatment of antibiotic-resistant Clostridium difficile （C difficile） infections. The concept of altering the gut community by microbial intervention in an effort to improve health is currently in its infancy. However, the therapeutic implications appear to be very great. Thus, the removal of harmful organisms and the enrichment of beneficial mi- crobes may protect our health, and such efforts will pave the way for the development of more rational treatment options in the future.
