Disease, Drugs and Dysbiosis: Understanding Microbial Signatures in Metabolic Disease and Medical Interventions

Since the discovery of the potential role for the gut microbiota in health and disease, many studies have gone on to report its impact in various pathologies. These studies have fuelled interest in the microbiome as a potential new target for treating disease Here, we reviewed the key metabolic diseases, obesity, type 2 diabetes and atherosclerosis and the role of the microbiome in their pathogenesis. In particular, we will discuss disease associated microbial dysbiosis; the shift in the microbiome caused by medical interventions and the altered metabolite levels between diseases and interventions. The microbial dysbiosis seen was compared between diseases including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, liver cirrhosis and neurodegenerative diseases, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. This review highlights the commonalities and differences in dysbiosis of the gut between diseases, along with metabolite levels in metabolic disease vs. the levels reported after an intervention. We identify the need for further analysis using systems biology approaches and discuss the potential need for treatments to consider their impact on the microbiome.