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Advances in Microbiome Detection Technologies and Application in Antirheumatic Drug Design

Xin Wu1, Xiang Chen2, Xiaochen Lyu2

  • 1Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, 415 Fengyang Road, Shanghai, China.

Current Pharmaceutical Design
|December 14, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Gut microbiome alterations are linked to rheumatic diseases like AS and SLE. Advances in metagenomics help identify these changes, offering potential for new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies targeting gut bacteria.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Immunology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Rheumatic diseases, including Ankylosing spondylitis (AS), gout, and Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), are chronic inflammatory and autoimmune conditions.
  • The etiology of rheumatic diseases is complex, involving genetic and environmental factors, with a growing emphasis on the gut microbiome's role.
  • Dysbiosis, or an imbalance in gut microbiota, is increasingly implicated in the pathogenesis of these diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review advances in microbial profiling technologies, particularly metagenomics, for studying the gut microbiome in rheumatic diseases.
  • To highlight resources for accurate taxonomic assignment of metagenomic data.
  • To summarize reported alterations in gut microbiota signatures associated with rheumatic diseases and discuss their potential for diagnostics and therapeutics.

Main Methods:

  • Review of next-generation sequencing-based microbial profiling technologies, focusing on metagenomics.
  • Analysis of existing literature on gut microbiota composition and function in patients with rheumatic diseases.
  • Discussion of computational tools and databases for metagenomic data analysis.

Main Results:

  • Metagenomic studies have revealed significant alterations in the composition and function of the gut microbiota in patients with rheumatic diseases.
  • Specific gut microbial signatures have been identified across various rheumatic conditions.
  • Treatment strategies, including disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), can modulate the gut microbiome and impact disease symptoms.

Conclusions:

  • Gut dysbiosis plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of rheumatic diseases.
  • Advances in metagenomics provide powerful tools for understanding these microbial alterations.
  • Targeting the gut microbiome offers promising avenues for developing novel diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic interventions for rheumatic diseases.
Keywords:
DMARDGut microbiomeNGSantirheumaticmicrobiotarheumatic diseases

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