Human Microbiome as an Approach to Personalized Medicine

Altern Ther Health Med. 2017 Nov;23(6):8-9.

Abstract

Personalized medicine is an approach for medical decisions, practices, and interventions that considers individual variations in genes, environment, and lifestyle for each person. Regarding complex metabolic patterns associated with different diseases, characterizing unique metabolic patterns of each patient seems like a practical approach. We can imagine a future in which routinely analyzing the microbiome allows us to predict individualized responses to different foods and drugs. Microbiome analysis of individuals may be added to future routine personalized medicine protocols after comparing the costs and benefits of microbiome-sequencing technology. Moreover, improved understanding of the human microbiome could lead to the development of novel therapeutic strategies for different diseases. Potential therapeutic agents, such as personalized probiotic and prebiotic supplements, dietary interventions, and fecal microbiota transplantation that can be used to reshape the gut microbiome, represent a reasonable strategy in an era of personalized medicine.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Biodiversity
  • Humans
  • Microbiology / trends
  • Microbiota*
  • Pharmacogenetics / trends*
  • Precision Medicine / trends*