The future of obesity, cancer, and depression treatments lies in the gut microbiome!
A specialized report from the South Korean website dongascience.com has revealed promising developments in the field of gut microbiome transplantation. Researchers from the Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI) and the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), in collaboration with prestigious universities, are exploring the potential of this revolutionary field in treating obesity, cancer, and depression—conditions that pose major global health challenges.
Our human intestines harbor countless microorganisms that form a complex ecosystem. This ecosystem not only aids in food digestion but also influences metabolism, immune responses, and brain functions through the gut-brain axis.
In the realm of obesity, a Sino-Japanese research team transplanted gut microbes from shrews (small mammals naturally resistant to obesity) into mice that had become obese on a high-fat diet. The mice receiving the transplant showed notable changes in their gut microbiota and a tendency toward lower body weight compared to control mice. However, results from human studies have been inconsistent. While abdominal fat decreased in some obese adolescents following microbiome transplantation, body mass index did not change significantly in most cases. Clinical trials in adults have not shown a meaningful effect on weight loss, indicating a need for further studies to understand the factors determining treatment response.
Regarding cancer treatment, a team led by Professor Park Suk-ryeon from Asan Medical Center in Seoul and Professor Park Han-soo from the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology transplanted gut microbes taken from patients who responded well to immune checkpoint inhibitors into 13 patients with gastric, esophageal, or liver cancer who had developed resistance to these vital drugs. Preliminary results showed that one patient achieved partial remission with a significant reduction in tumor size, while five patients maintained disease stability without tumor progression for at least six months. These findings open new avenues for immunotherapy. Researchers also identified a gut bacterium named *Prevotella merdae immunoactivis* that enhances anti-tumor immune responses, which may play a future role as a therapeutic adjunct.
In the field of depression, a team led by first author Jeong Hae-jung from the Korea Basic Science Institute found that the bacteria *Intestinimonas butyriciproducens* and *Parabacteroides merdae* were significantly less abundant in mice that exhibited severe depression-like behaviors in forced swimming and tail suspension tests. When the team fed these microbes to the affected mice, depression-like behaviors decreased significantly, and the expression of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF)—a protein responsible for neuronal survival, growth, and synaptic formation—was restored. This suggests a potential role for the microbiome in treating psychiatric disorders.
