Microbiome disease treatments: Using the body’s microbes to treat diseases

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  Quantumrun Foresight
• February 21, 2023

Body-dwelling bacteria, also known as the microbiome, play a crucial role in maintaining overall health and well-being. Scientists are beginning to understand the complex interactions between the human body and the bacteria that live on and within it. As this understanding grows, microbiome-based therapies will likely become increasingly common in disease management. This process may include using probiotics to promote the growth of beneficial bacteria or developing targeted therapies to address imbalances in the microbiome that contribute to specific conditions.

Microbiome disease treatments context

Trillions of microbes colonize the human body, creating a dynamic microbiome that affects various functions, from metabolism to immunity. The increasing role of bacteria in maintaining human health and disease management is coming to light, making researchers aim to engineer the microbiome to treat multiple health conditions. For example, the composition of gut microbes in babies can predict the risk of them developing respiratory diseases like asthma later. Researchers at the University of California San Francisco (USCF) developed a microbial intervention method in 2021 for high-risk babies to enhance their health against the disease. Research for pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) treatment is also possible by studying gut microbiomes. 

Autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis are also linked to the microbiome, and microbiome engineering may offer better treatment than many conventional methods that suppress all immune cells. Similarly, the skin microbiota is being used to treat patients with eczema. Drug movement and metabolization in the body are also tied to microbes, opening new channels for promising research. 

In 2022, Australia's Hudson Institute of Medical Research and BiomeBank entered into a four-year partnership to combine their expertise in microbiome therapeutics. The collaboration aims to take the research conducted by the Hudson Institute and apply it to the discovery and development of microbial therapies. BiomeBank, a clinical-stage company in this field, will bring its knowledge and experience to help translate the research into practical applications.

Disruptive impact 

As microbiome research continues to develop, regular microbiome assessments will likely become a common practice for monitoring overall health, particularly from a young age. This process could involve testing for imbalances in the microbiome and implementing targeted therapies to address them. One of the critical areas of focus for microbiome research is autoimmune disorders, which have traditionally been challenging to treat effectively. 

A significant amount of clinical research on the microbiome is centered on its relationship with autoimmune disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, and multiple sclerosis, which affect 24 million Americans. Although genetics play a role in the development of these disorders, researchers believe that environmental factors also influence the development of these diseases. With a better understanding of the relationship between the microbiome and autoimmune disorders, new, more effective treatment methods may be developed. 

As the potential for microbiome treatments becomes more apparent, funding for research in this field will likely increase. This development could lead to the growth of biotechnology companies specializing in microbiome therapeutics while, at the same time, a decrease in the market share of antibiotic manufacturers. Furthermore, the advancements in the field of the human microbiome will likely lead toward the development of custom and precision treatments rather than the one-size-fits-all approach currently used in medicine. In other words, treatments will be tailored to the individual's specific microbiome makeup rather than a generic treatment for everyone.

Implications of microbiome disease treatment 

Wider implications of microbiome disease treatment may include:

• Improved standards of living as more diseases find treatments and symptom alleviation.  
• Reduction in instances of development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria following a decrease in antibiotic usage.
• Increased usage of at-home gut microbiome diagnostics tests for individuals interested in improving their health.
• Increased awareness of the importance of gut health and the microbiome leading to changes in dietary and lifestyle choices.
• Development of microbiome-based treatments resulting in new market opportunities and growth in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.
• Governmental agencies revising regulations and policies related to drug development and approval to account for microbiome-based treatments.
• Microbiome-based treatments becoming more effective for certain populations, leading to disparities in access to care.
• Advancements in genetic sequencing and other related technologies to support microbiome growth and resiliency.
• The development and implementation of microbiome-based treatments requiring the training and hiring of new specialists in the field.
• The cost of microbiome-based treatments may be high and only affordable for some patients.
• The use of microbiome-based treatments may raise ethical concerns related to genetic modification and the manipulation of natural systems.

Questions to consider

• What risks, if any, can be expected in microbiome treatments?
• How cost-effective do you expect such treatments to be?