The role of the gut microbiome in systemic inflammatory disease

State of the Art ReviewBMJ 2018; 360 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.j5145 (Published 08 January 2018)Cite this as:  BMJ 2018;360:j51452018;360:j5145

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2. 1. Jose C Clemente, assistant professor1,
   2. Julia Manasson, medical doctor2,
   3. Jose U Scher, assistant professor2

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ABSTRACT

The role of the gut microbiome in models of inflammatory and autoimmune disease is now well characterized. Renewed interest in the human microbiome and its metabolites, as well as notable advances in host mucosal immunology, has opened multiple avenues of research to potentially modulate inflammatory responses.

The complexity and interdependence of these diet-microbe-metabolite-host interactions are rapidly being unraveled. Importantly, most of the progress in the field comes from new knowledge about the functional properties of these microorganisms in physiology and their effect in mucosal immunity and distal inflammation. This review summarizes the preclinical and clinical evidence on how dietary, probiotic, prebiotic, and microbiome based therapeutics affect our understanding of wellness and disease, particularly in autoimmunity.

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