What is it about?
Far from being just “bugs in our guts,” the microbiota interacts with the body in previously unimagined ways. Research into the genome and the microbiome has revealed that the human body and the microbiota have a long‐established but only recently recognized symbiotic relationship; homeostatic balance between them regulates body function. That balance is fragile, easily disturbed, and plays a fundamental role in human health—our very survival depends on the healthy functioning of these microorganisms.
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Why is it important?
Blood group antigens have previously been associated with disease risks; their subsequent association with the microbiota may reveal mechanisms that lead to development of nutritional interventions and improved treatment modalities. Further exploration of associations between specific enteric microbes and specific metabolites will foster new dietary interventions, treatment modalities, and genetic therapies, and inevitably, their application in personalized healthcare strategies.
Perspectives
I believe that personalized medicine--tailored to each person's genetic and metabolic makeup--is the way of the future. Although modern medicine uses standardized treatments for almost every ailment known to man, humans are not gingerbread men and do not respond in standardized ways. I have always been interested in why this happens. It is my hope that this article, and its predecessor companion (Blood Type Biochemistry and Human Disease; doi: 10.1002/wsbm.1355), will help to bring about a more integrated approach to healthcare.
D Rose Ewald
University of North Carolina-Greensboro
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Human microbiota, blood group antigens, and disease, WIREs Systems Biology and Medicine, January 2018, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1002/wsbm.1413.
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