MetaBiom :
The Knowledge portal for Microbiome & Diseases
Evidence-Based Knowledge for Physicians, Patients, Researchers & Students :
Gain valuable insights into the connection between the microbiome and chronic diseases – Your source for potential personalized therapy, lifestyle change, and next-generation research.
The fascinating world of the human microbiome
The trillions of microorganisms, primarily bacteria, but also viruses, fungi, and archaea, that live in and on our bodies – has emerged in recent decades as a central player in our health. In particular, the realization that alterations in the composition and function of this complex ecosystem can have profound effects on our well-being forms the foundation for innovative approaches in healthcare, such as this platform.
The Microbiome: A Dynamic Ecosystem
Our microbiome is by no means a static collection of microbes. It is a dynamic ecosystem that constantly changes – from our birth to old age. A wide variety of factors influence its composition and diversity:
Medications: Antibiotics, in particular, have a profound effect on the microbiome by killing not only pathogenic but also beneficial bacteria, thus disrupting the balance.
Birth: The mode of delivery (vaginal vs. Cesarean section) significantly shapes the initial colonization of the infant’s gut. Vaginally born infants acquire microbes from the mother’s birth canal, while Cesarean-born infants often have a dominance of skin and environmental microbes.
Diet: Diet is one of the most powerful modulating factors of the microbiome. A fiber-rich, diverse diet promotes a healthy microbial diversity, while a highly processed, sugary diet is often associated with dysbiosis (an imbalance in the microbiome).
Environmental Factors: Geographical location, hygiene conditions, contact with animals, and the use of antibiotics can influence microbial colonization.
Lifestyle: Stress, lack of sleep, and lack of physical activity can also negatively impact the microbiome.
Genetic Predisposition: There is evidence suggesting that our genes also play a role in the composition of our microbiome.
Microbiome Changes and Their Potential Impact on Human Health
Changes in the microbiome, especially a reduction in diversity and the overgrowth of certain potentially harmful microorganisms (dysbiosis), are being linked to a growing number of diseases. The mechanisms by which these changes affect our health are diverse and complex:
- Impairment of the Gut Barrier: A healthy microbiome contributes to the integrity of the intestinal epithelial layer, which acts as a barrier against harmful substances and pathogens. Dysbiosis can weaken this barrier (“leaky gut”), leading to increased permeability and the entry of inflammatory molecules into the bloodstream.
- Disruption of Immune Regulation: The microbiome plays a crucial role in the development and regulation of our immune system. Certain gut bacteria train the immune system and promote the balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory responses. Dysbiosis can contribute to a dysregulation of the immune system, which can promote autoimmune diseases, allergies, and chronic inflammatory conditions.
- Altered Production of Metabolic Products: Gut bacteria produce a variety of metabolic products, including short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) such as butyrate, acetate, and propionate. SCFAs have diverse beneficial effects on our health, for example, as an energy source for intestinal cells, as anti-inflammatory agents, and as signaling molecules that interact with other organs. Dysbiosis can impair the production of these important metabolic products.
- Influence on the Nervous System (Gut-Brain Axis): There is a bidirectional communication between the gut and the brain, known as the gut-brain axis. The microbiome can influence this communication through various pathways, such as the production of neurotransmitters and their precursors. Changes in the microbiome are being linked to neurological and psychiatric disorders.
- Impairment of Nutrient Metabolism: The microbiome helps us digest certain food components and synthesize some vitamins (e.g., vitamin K and some B vitamins). Dysbiosis can impair nutrient absorption and production.
Diseases in Focus of Microbiome Research:
Research has already linked a variety of diseases to changes in the microbiome. These include, among others:
Cancer: Certain types of cancer and the response to cancer therapies (particularly GI Cancer).
Gastrointestinal Disorders: Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
Metabolic Disorders: Obesity, type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
Cardiovascular Diseases: Atherosclerosis, hypertension.
Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders: Depression, anxiety disorders, autism spectrum disorders, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease.
Autoimmune Diseases: Multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes.
Allergies and Asthma.
The Mission:
Providing important information on how changes in the microbiome may affect health conditions and thus offer an additional route alongside the traditional classical route to:
Fight diseases through lifestyle changes
The most impactful strategy against chronic disease often involves reshaping daily life, particularly through mindful eating and avoiding the detrimental effects of cigarettes, other environmental toxins, and unnecessary antibiotic use, which drastically influences the microbiome.
Prevent diseases
A deeper understanding of the intricate dynamics within our microbiome, this often-overlooked yet vital “invisible organ,” empowers a paradigm shift towards proactive disease prevention. By appreciating its profound influence on physiological processes, we can strategically modulate our lifestyle, diet, and environment to cultivate a beneficial microbial balance, thereby fortifying our resilience against a spectrum of illnesses before they manifest.
Diagnose & Prognose
Analyzing microbial communities can enable earlier and more accurate disease detection by identifying subtle shifts that precede symptoms. It can also help predict disease risk, differentiate between conditions with similar presentations, and monitor disease progression and treatment response.
Find new effective personalized therapies
Microbiome studies offer the potential to unlock new, effective personalized therapies by analyzing the unique microbial makeup of individual patients to tailor treatments based on their specific microbiome status.
What is MetaBiom !?
MetaBiom is an independent knowledge portal focused on chronic diseases and their potential relationships with the microbiome. Our primary aim is to offer all interested healthcare professionals, especially medical and clinical experts and researchers, an alternative perspective for discovering new ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat such diseases.
MetaBiom is not a journal system but rather a platform designed to disseminate and integrate significant evidence, clues, and associations between the microbiome and chronic diseases in a meaningful context.
Please note: MetaBiom does not provide ratings for the sources. All content should be critically evaluated, taking into account the sources of information and the expertise and potential bias of the authors.
Why MetaBiom ?
MetaBiom: Your Compass in the Complex Field of the Microbiome
Imagine MetaBiom as your personal, always up-to-date reference guide – an intelligent library that presents the crucial possible connections between diseases and microbiome alterations in a concise and clear manner. As a dedicated medical professional in the field of microbiome science, you understand the challenge of sifting through the flood of scientific publications to find relevant information. Metabiom was born precisely out of this need: to provide you and your colleagues with direct, straightforward access to the most important findings.
Focus on Relevance: MetaBiom curates and synthesizes information to be directly relevant for clinical practice and translational research.
Living and Dynamic Knowledge Base: Unlike static databases or textbooks, MetaBiom is continuously updated and expanded to integrate the latest research results and clinical validations. This ensures you always have the most current information.
Intuitive User-Friendliness: We are modeling the user experience on established platforms you already use daily. Navigation is intuitive, searches are precise, and information is clearly structured, allowing you to access the details you need without a steep learning curve.
Bridging Clinic and Research: MetaBiom builds a bridge between clinical application and basic research. Practicing physicians gain well-founded information for their daily work, while researchers can readily identify starting points for further studies.
Time Savings and Increased Efficiency: By centrally providing relevant information, you save valuable research time and can focus more quickly on diagnosis, treatment, and the development of new therapeutic approaches.
Definitions :
Evidence: This includes published, open-source abstract sources and references that demonstrate potential links between diseases, microbiota, metabolomes, and various influencing factors.
Health condition: This category encompasses the symptoms and conditions associated with chronic health disorders, specifically in relation to a particular microbiota diversity, metabolome profile, or other relevant factors.
Microbiota: This refers to the potential microbial communities where alterations in their population size (relative to a healthy state) and their location within the host could contribute to specific disease states or symptoms. These can be identified at various taxonomic levels, including class, order, family, genus, species, and even by their binomial names.
Metabolome: This area covers metabolites and substances that interact with the microbiota in different ways: those utilized by the microbiota (prebiome), those produced by the microbiota (postbiome), and those used to target the microbiota (antibiome). These metabolites can directly influence disease processes or act indirectly by supporting other disease-related mechanisms. MetaBiom considers both the potential health benefits and possible risks associated with these prebiomes, postbiomes, and antibiomes.
Factor: This element includes conditions that have the capacity to modify the absolute or relative abundance of the microbiota, potentially increasing susceptibility to disease or causing variations in symptoms.
Prebiome, Probiome and Postbiome ?!
The conventional terms “prebiotic,” “probiotic,” and “postbiotic,” while widely used, can be misleading in a medical context. For instance, a substance acting as a prebiotic might promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in one individual’s microbiome but inadvertently fuel pathogenic growth in another, depending on their unique microbial composition and health status. Similarly, the effects of probiotics and postbiotics are highly dependent on the existing microbial ecosystem and the individual’s physiological state.
Therefore, Metabiom temporarily utilizes the terms “prebiome,” “probiome,” and “postbiome” to represent concepts closely aligned with prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics, respectively. This interim terminology underscores the critical need to consider the broader microbial environment and the host’s specific condition when evaluating interventions. Please be aware that this terminology is temporary and may be subject to change in the future upon the formal introduction of more context-aware and precise standardized terms within the scientific community. Metabiom will be updated accordingly to reflect any official nomenclature.
“Antibiotics” inadequately describes drugs with potential for adverse health consequences via microbiome disruption. Aligning with “prebiome” and “postbiome,” reconsidering “antibiotics” as “antibiome” or creating new terms could better reflect their dual nature: therapeutic benefit and risk of predisposing to disease through microbiome impact, promoting more nuanced understanding and use.
Other Sources
Further resources (Organizations, institutes, research centers, companies, databases, ..) on the topic of microbiome and diseases
“The MetaBiom database currently includes approximately:
4000 Evidences,
600 Health Conditions,
2500 Microbiotas,
800 Metabolites,
400 Factors”
Why Choose Us
Passionate
As MetaBiom, our passion stems from the conviction that understanding the intricate world of the microbiome holds the key to unlocking a new era of precision medicine. We see the limitations of current approaches and are driven by the potential to revolutionize diagnostics and therapeutics. Our dedication lies in building a dynamic, context-aware platform that empowers healthcare professionals and researchers with the nuanced insights needed for earlier diagnosis, personalized treatments, and ultimately, healthier lives. We are passionate about bridging the gap between complex microbiome science and practical application, making this transformative knowledge accessible and actionable.
Professional
As MetaBiom, our professionalism stems from our expertise in microbiome science and our unwavering commitment to providing a reliable, accurate, and context-aware platform for healthcare professionals and researchers. We prioritize scientific rigor in our curation and synthesis of information, ensuring that the data presented is evidence-based and clearly contextualized. Our dedication to user-centric design, drawing inspiration from familiar and intuitive interfaces, reflects our respect for the time and needs of busy professionals. Furthermore, our proactive approach to terminology, acknowledging and adapting to the evolving language of the field, demonstrates our forward-thinking and scientifically responsible nature. Ultimately, our professionalism is rooted in our mission to empower the medical community with the highest quality, most relevant microbiome knowledge to advance patient care and scientific discovery.
Support
As MetaBiom, our support orientation stems from recognizing that navigating the complex world of microbiome science requires accessible, reliable assistance. We are committed to empowering our users – healthcare professionals and researchers – with the tools and knowledge they need to effectively utilize our platform. This means providing intuitive interfaces, comprehensive documentation, and responsive support channels to address queries and facilitate seamless integration into their workflows. Our ultimate goal is to ensure our users can confidently leverage Metabiom’s insights to advance patient care and scientific discovery, and our support structure is designed to make that journey as smooth and productive as possible. We actively listen to user feedback to continuously improve our platform and support services, ensuring we are always meeting their evolving needs in the best possible way.