Akkermansia muciniphila: is it the Holy Grail for ameliorating metabolic diseases?

Gut Microbes. 2021 Jan-Dec;13(1):1984104. doi: 10.1080/19490976.2021.1984104.

Abstract

The increasing prevalence of metabolic diseases has become a severe public health problem. Gut microbiota play important roles in maintaining human health by modulating the host's metabolism. Recent evidences demonstrate that Akkermansia muciniphila is effective in improving metabolic disorders and is thus considered as a promising "next-generation beneficial microbe". In addition to the live A. muciniphila, similar or even stronger beneficial effects have been observed in pasteurized A. muciniphila and its components, including the outer membrane protein Amuc_1100, A. muciniphila-derived extracellular vesicles (AmEVs), and secreted protein P9. Hence, this paper presents a systemic review of recent progress in the effects and mechanisms of A. muciniphila and its components in the treatment of metabolic diseases, including obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, as well as perspectives on its future study.

Keywords: Akkermansia muciniphila; AmEVs; Amuc_1100; P9; metabolic diseases; pasteurized A. muciniphila.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Akkermansia / physiology
  • Animals
  • Gastrointestinal Microbiome
  • Humans
  • Metabolic Diseases / drug therapy*
  • Metabolic Diseases / metabolism
  • Metabolic Diseases / microbiology
  • Probiotics / administration & dosage*

Supplementary concepts

  • Akkermansia muciniphila

Grants and funding

This work has received grant/research support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81873059), Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai (No. 20ZR1453900), Project of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Shanghai Municipal Health Commission (No. 2020JP016), Shanghai Pujiang Program (No. 20PJ1413100), and Clinical Research Plan of SHDC (No. SHDC2020CR2049B).