1716CaniPD.Gut2018;67:1716–1725.doi:10.1136/gutjnl-2018-316723RecentadvancesinbasicscienceHumangutmicrobiome:hopes,threatsandpromisesPatriceDCaniTocite:CaniPD.Gut2018;67:1716–1725.MetabolismandNutritionResearchGroup,UniversitécatholiquedeLouvain,WELBIO—WalloonExcellenceinLifeSciencesandBIOtechnology,LouvainDrugResearchInstitute,Brussels,BelgiumCorrespondencetoProfessorPatriceDCani,MetabolismandNutritionResearchGroup,UniversitécatholiquedeLouvain,WELBIO—WalloonExcellenceinLifeSciencesandBIOtechnology,LouvainDrugResearchInstitute,Brussels1200,Belgium;patrice.cani@uclouvain.beReceived30April2018Revised21May2018Accepted22May2018PublishedOnlineFirst22June2018AbsTRACTThemicrobiomehasreceivedincreasingattentionoverthelast15years.Althoughgutmicrobeshavebeenexploredforseveraldecades,investigationsoftheroleofmicroorganismsthatresideinthehumanguthasattractedmuchattentionbeyondclassicalinfectiousdiseases.Forexample,numerousstudieshavereportedchangesinthegutmicrobiotaduringnotonlyobesity,diabetes,andliverdiseasesbutalsocancerandevenneurodegenerativediseases.Thehumangutmicrobiotaisviewedasapotentialsourceofnoveltherapeutics.Between2013and2017,thenumberofpublicationsfocusingonthegutmicrobiotawas,remarkably,12900,whichrepresentsfour-fifthsofthetotalnumberofpublicationsoverthelast40yearsthatinvestigatedthistopic.Thisreviewdiscussesrecentevidenceoftheimpactofthegutmicrobiotaonmetabolicdisordersandfocusonselectedkeymechanisms.Thisreviewalsoaimstoprovideacriticalanalysisofthecurrentknowledgeinthisfield,identifyputativekeyissuesorproblemsanddiscussmisinterpretations.Theabundanceofmetagenomicdatageneratedoncomparingdiseasedandhealthysubjectscanleadtotheerroneousclaimthatabacteriumiscausallylinkedwiththeprotectionortheonsetofadisease.Infact,environmentalfactorssuchasdietaryhabits,drugtreatments,intestinalmotilityandstoolfrequencyandconsistencyareallfactorsthatinfluencethecompositionofthemicrobiotaandshouldbeconsidered.ThecasesofthebacteriaPrevotellacopriandAkkermansiamuciniphilaw...
