Unveiling and harnessing the human gut microbiome in the rising burden of non-communicable diseases during urbanization
Ziyu Huang,
Yue Li,
Heekuk Park,
Martin Ho,
Kanchan Bhardwaj,
Naoki Sugimura,
Hye Won Lee,
Huicui Meng,
Matthias P. Ebert,
Kang Chao,
Elke Burgermeister,
Aadra P. Bhatt,
Sudarshan A. Shetty,
Kai Li,
Weiping Wen,
Tao Zuo
Affiliations
Ziyu Huang
Key Laboratory of Human Microbiome and Chronic Diseases, Sun Yat-Sen University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China
Yue Li
Key Laboratory of Human Microbiome and Chronic Diseases, Sun Yat-Sen University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China
Heekuk Park
Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Columbia University Irving Medical Centre, New York, NY, USA
Martin Ho
Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
Kanchan Bhardwaj
Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies, Haryana, India
Naoki Sugimura
Gastrointestinal Centre and Institute of Minimally-Invasive Endoscopic Care (iMEC), Sano Hospital, Kobe, Japan
Hye Won Lee
Institute of Gastroenterology and Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
Huicui Meng
School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-Sen University, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, China
Matthias P. Ebert
Department of Medicine II, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
Kang Chao
The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
Elke Burgermeister
Department of Medicine II, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
Aadra P. Bhatt
Department of Medicine, Centre for Gastrointestinal Biology and Disease, and the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Centre, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
Sudarshan A. Shetty
Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
Kai Li
Key Laboratory of Human Microbiome and Chronic Diseases, Sun Yat-Sen University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China
Weiping Wen
Key Laboratory of Human Microbiome and Chronic Diseases, Sun Yat-Sen University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China
Tao Zuo
Key Laboratory of Human Microbiome and Chronic Diseases, Sun Yat-Sen University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China
ABSTRACTThe world is witnessing a global increase in the urban population, particularly in developing Asian and African countries. Concomitantly, the global burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is rising, markedly associated with the changing landscape of lifestyle and environment during urbanization. Accumulating studies have revealed the role of the gut microbiome in regulating the immune and metabolic homeostasis of the host, which potentially bridges external factors to the host (patho-)physiology. In this review, we discuss the rising incidences of NCDs during urbanization and their links to the compositional and functional dysbiosis of the gut microbiome. In particular, we elucidate the effects of urbanization-associated factors (hygiene/pollution, urbanized diet, lifestyles, the use of antibiotics, and early life exposure) on the gut microbiome underlying the pathogenesis of NCDs. We also discuss the potential and feasibility of microbiome-inspired and microbiome-targeted approaches as novel avenues to counteract NCDs, including fecal microbiota transplantation, diet modulation, probiotics, postbiotics, synbiotics, celobiotics, and precision antibiotics.
