Targeting the Gut Microbiota in IBD

Several therapies that modulate gut microbiota, such as antibiotics and probiotics, have been assessed in IBD1-3:

icon of tablet and capsule

Antibiotics

Antibiotics may reduce certain symptoms of IBD by decreasing overall bacterial burden; however, their role in clinical practice remains limited.2 Antibiotic monotherapy has provided some benefit in managing complications of Crohn’s colitis, such as abscesses and fistulae, and may prevent post-resection recurrence. The use of certain antibiotics in combination may also improve outcomes; however, use is limited due to the risk of resistance development. Currently, no benefits have been found with antibiotic use in ulcerative colitis.2,10

icon of probiotic

Probiotics

Probiotics have been used in an attempt to create a healthy balance in the global composition of gut microbiota. While certain probiotics have shown benefits in managing ulcerative colitis, this approach has demonstrated limited efficacy in Crohn’s disease.1,2

icon of capsule open spilling contents

In Development

Research is focusing on the benefits of experimental therapies, such as fecal microbiota transplantation, in IBD. Most microbiome-based therapies require further investigation before they can be used in routine clinical practice. Such modalities will likely require a personalized approach to determine which patients may benefit.1,2

MICROBIAL IMBALANCE IN CLD
IBD = inflammatory bowel disease
 
 

References

  1. Somineni HK, Kugathasan S. The microbiome in patients with inflammatory disease. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2019;17(2):243-255.
  2. Zuo T, Ng SC. The gut microbiota in the pathogenesis and therapeutics of inflammatory bowel disease. Front Microbiol. 2018;9:2247.
  3. Weingarden AR, Vaughn BP. Intestinal microbiota, fecal microbiota transplantation, and inflammatory bowel disease. Gut Microbes. 2017;8(3):238-252.
  4. Yu LC. Microbiota dysbiosis and barrier dysfunction in inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancers: exploring a common ground hypothesis. J Biomed Sci. 2018;25(1):79.
  5. Casén C, Vebø HC, Sekelja M, et al. Deviations in human gut microbiota: a novel diagnostic test for determining dysbiosis in patients with IBS or IBD. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2015;42(1):71-83.
  6. Frank DN, St Amand AL, Feldman RA, Boedeker EC, Harpaz N, Pace NR. Molecular-phylogenetic characterization of microbial community imbalances in human inflammatory bowel diseases. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2007;104(34):13780-13785.
  7. Halfvarson J, Brislawn CJ, Lamendella R, et al. Dynamics of the human gut microbiome in inflammatory bowel disease. Nat Microbiol. 2017;2:17004.
  8. Morgan XC, Tickle TL, Sokol H, et al. Dysfunction of the intestinal microbiome in inflammatory bowel disease and treatment. Genome Biol. 2012;13(9):R79.
  9. Li J, Butcher J, Mack D, Stintzi A. Functional impacts of the intestinal microbiome in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2015;21(1):139-153.
  10. Sartor RB, Wu GD. Roles for intestinal bacteria, viruses, and fungi in pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases and therapeutic approaches. Gastroenterology. 2017;152(2):327-339.
CLOSE
CLOSE

All personal information will be kept confidential and will not be shared with any parties other than Salix Pharmaceuticals and its designated partners. Click here to view our full Privacy Policy.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR REQUEST

Thank you for signing up to receive email updates from the Microbiome Consortium. By joining the Microbiome Consortium Professional Community, you will now automatically receive the latest resources and useful information about the gut microbiome.

We appreciate your interest in the gut microbiome and hope you find the information that you receive helpful.