Researchers at the University of Surrey have proposed a new approach to treating inflammatory diseases using personalized probiotic therapies, also known as precision medicine.
The human gut microbiome, a complex ecosystem of bacteria, plays a crucial role in overall health. Imbalances in this ecosystem, known as dysbiosis, have been linked to various inflammatory conditions.
By harnessing the power of large-scale computer models, such as Genome-Scale Metabolic Models (GSMMs), and computational methodologies like Flux Balance Analysis (FBA), researchers can investigate the complexities of the human gut microbiome.
Analyzing these models allows researchers to identify potential targets and design personalized probiotic and prebiotic treatments.
Dr. Matteo Barberis, lead author of the study and Reader in Systems Biology from the University of Surrey, explains:
“Our research presents a workflow to model human-gut microbiome interactions for probiotic design, a step in the right direction, offering a new way to help the treatment of inflammatory diseases. It can predict metabolic reactions within the bacterial strains in the gut that may be targeted to correct the dysbiosis, thus offering a platform for dietary/probiotic interventions. By understanding the intricate workings of the gut microbiome and developing dedicated modeling workflows, we are paving the way for a future where personalized therapies can improve patients’ health.”