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Disturbed Pediatric Gut Microbiome Maturation in the Developmental Origins of Subsequent Chronic Disease
David Aaron Simon1, Richard Kellermayer1,2
1From the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.
Insights
Early life gut microbiome alterations from antibiotics or appendectomy may increase disease risk. Understanding these microbial developmental origins of disease is crucial for prevention.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Immunology
Background:
- The human gut microbiome is critical for health and undergoes rapid development in early childhood.
- This early window is vulnerable to environmental factors that can cause persistent microbiome alterations (dysbiosis).
- Dysbiosis is linked to the 'microbial developmental origins of disease' phenomenon.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the microbial developmental origins of disease.
- To examine how early-life antibiotic exposure and appendectomy influence common multifactorial diseases.
- To underscore the importance of this field for pediatric gastroenterology.
Main Methods:
- Review and synthesis of existing research on the gut microbiome.
- Analysis of the impact of specific early-life events (antibiotics, appendectomy) on disease pathogenesis.
- Focus on common, multifactorial diseases with increasing incidence.
Main Results:
- Childhood antibiotic use and appendectomy can induce dysbiosis.
- Dysbiosis may contribute to the development of diseases like celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and obesity.
- These early-life events can have long-lasting effects on host physiology and disease susceptibility.
Conclusions:
- Fully understanding the microbial developmental origins of common chronic disorders is a key challenge for 21st-century pediatric gastroenterologists.
- Knowledge of these origins is essential for preventing numerous common and emerging health disorders.
- Targeting early-life microbial exposures may offer novel strategies for disease prevention.
Abstract:
The microbiome is known to play an important role in the development and maintenance of human health. During early childhood the gut microbiome undergoes a rapid evolution, making this developmental window most susceptible to microbial manipulation and, therefore, most vulnerable to environmental stimuli. Such stimuli may induce persistent alterations (or dysbiosis) in microbiome and/or host physiology, thereby resulting in susceptibility to subsequent disease development. This phenomenon is frequently described as "the microbial developmental origins of disease." In this topic of the month, we call attention to the microbial developmental origins of disease by examining the potential for childhood antibiotic exposures and appendectomy (ie, inducers of dysbiosis) to influence the pathogenesis of certain multifactorial, common diseases (eg, celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, obesity), especially those with increasing incidence worldwide. We conclude that fully appreciating the critical components in the microbial developmental origins of common chronic disorders is a major task ahead of pediatric gastroenterologists in the 21st century. Such information will be key in working to prevent numerous common and emerging disorders.
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