May 29 is World Digestive Health Day. Thus, we invited Huang Youqun, Director of the Second Ward of Gastrogut Surgery at Hainan Cancer Hospital, to explain the mysterious gut ecosystem.
The vast and mysterious gut microbes
Huang Youqun introduced that in the human gut, there exists a large and complex microbial ecosystem that consists of tens of thousands of bacteria, viruses, fungi and other microorganisms collectively known as the gut microbiota. In recent years, scientists have been deepening their research on the links between the gut microbiota and human health, unveiling one mystery after another ......
The gut microbiota is closely linked to health. Huang Youqun introduced a variety of microorganisms in the intestinal tract, such as the human division of labour, with different ‘mission’: some are responsible for digestion and absorption. Gut microbes help break down food components that cannot be broken down by digestive enzymes, such as certain fibres and complex sugars, and they produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the process, which energise gut cells and promote the health of the gut wall; some regulate the immune response. The gut microbiota is an important part of the immune system of human body. By interacting with intestinal cells, microorganisms can modulate the immune response, help the body distinguish between friend and foe, and identify and remove harmful microorganisms.
Thus, once the gut microbiological system is out of whack, a variety of health problems can arise.
Association of intestinal flora with gastrointestinal tumors
Huang Youqun introduced the intestinal microbiota, also known as intestinal flora, plays both ‘positive and negative’ roles in human health. Under certain conditions, the intestinal flora maintains the ecological balance of the digestive tract and plays a positive role in health. But when the intestinal flora is out of balance, it can become a terrible health ‘killer’, creating great digestive ‘trouble’.
Huang Youqun said that in recent years, with the rapid development of molecular biology, genomics, bioinformatics, high-throughput sequencing technology and microbial culture technology, the relationship between intestinal flora and gastrointestinal tract tumors has been gradually ‘unravelled’.
Research has demonstrated that some specific pathogenic bacteria may promote the development of tumors in the digestive tract. For example, the association between H. pylori and gastric cancer has been widely studied and confirmed. Chronic inflammation of the digestive tract is a known risk factor for many types of cancer. For example, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis, is associated with colorectal cancer risk, and alterations in gut flora play a key role in IBD. Dysbiosis may lead to impaired barrier function, which makes it easier for pathogens and disease-causing substances to invade intestinal tissues and increase the risk of cancer. Also, other metabolites produced by certain bacteria may induce tumor risk.
Flora transplants could lead to a health revolution
As research on gut flora has intensified, scientists have developed a variety of flora transplantation techniques to treat diseases associated with gut flora dysbiosis. Huang Youqun said with confidence that in the near future, colony transplantation technology may provide a revolutionary positive and far-reaching impact on human health.
Currently, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a relatively mature treatment. It is a method of transplanting the faecal flora of a healthy donor into the patients gut. FMT has been proven to be highly effective in treating Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), with a cure rate of over 90%. In addition, FMT has also shown potential in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), metabolic syndrome, and other conditions.
Synthetic microbiota is an approach that artificially combines specific strains of bacteria to mimic a healthy gut microbiome. This technology allows precise control over the composition and function of the microbiota, avoiding the potential risk of existence of pathogens in FMT. Currently, experiments on synthetic microbiota in animal models have achieved positive results, indicating its promising potential for future clinical applications.
A large number of clinical studies have shown that microbiota transplantation technology not only has good therapeutic effects on digestive diseases, but also on autism, depression, Parkinsons disease, as well as skin diseases, genetic diseases, metabolic syndromes including diabetes and obesity.
Introduction of the expert
Next and pictures from Liang Shan and Chen Lin