Recent advances in our understanding of the gut microbiome

Recent advances in our understanding of the gut microbiome – an analysis from the Gut Microbiota for the Health Expert Panel of the British Society of Gastroenterology

This analysis was a large collaborative effort involving many colleagues from the BSG Gut Microbiota for Health (GMfH) Expert Panel. The BSG GMfH team (led by Prof Julian Marchesi and Prof Ailsa Hart) published a landmark review on this topic one decade ago and our current paper appraises how our understanding of the gut microbiome has evolved in the last 10 years. Some of the areas addressed include:

Novel clinical areas where the gut microbiome has relevance have emerged, including early life, and the efficacy of certain treatments (including immune checkpoint inhibitors and vaccination).

Human gut microbiota studies are increasingly sophisticated, integrating multiomic approaches and more robust bioinformatics to investigate large multicentre populations.
Microbiome diagnostics are now commercially available but there is significant concern about validity and clinical utility.
Microbial therapeutic applications are expanding beyond faecal microbiota transplant, with next-generation products selecting specific microbial strains – and the development of nutritional, bacteriophage and novel probiotic therapies – all in the pipeline.

We hope the paper will be of interest to a broad audience including clinicians, scientists and the wider public.