Microbiome, the new frontier within us

Acknowledging the importance of microbiome for human health has created a revolution in biomedical research and is reshaping our thinking of health and disease. It is now clear that microorganisms cohabitating our body are a fundamental component of our physiology, and are crucial for the development of our immune system, metabolism and perhaps even for aging. The human body is home to over 100 trillion bacteria, most found in our guts, but also on our skin and other parts of our body. Understanding the composition of the microbiome in healthy individuals and in various pathological conditions is already used for treatment such as Fecal Microbial Transplantation, and will eventually lead to the development of new drugs not only for various aspects of digestion and gastrointestinal diseases, but also for weight gain, skin diseases, mood disorders, diabetes, autoimmune diseases and more. More on the latest frontiers in microbiome research and new insights towards the development of diagnostics, prophylactics and therapeutics in the “Microbiome” track at IATI-Biomed, on May 26.