Ulcerative colitis linked to missing gut microbe; 70% of our body's molecules produced by gut bacteria

The research we are witnessing on the gut microbiome is nothing short of revolutionary and its importance to health care is still just scratching the surface. Two perennial institutions just one day apart came up separately with two keys to the puzzles that could forever alter the way we administer health care to digestive system related diseases. These two are Stanford University and University of California San Diego.

A February 25, 2020 study by Stanford University's School of Medicine has found links between ulcerative colitis and a missing gut microbe. Led by Aida Habtezion, MD, associate professor of gastroenterology and hepatology, and Sidhartha Sinha, MD, assistant professor of gastroenterology and hepatology, scientists found a large deficiency in levels of a group of substances called secondary bile acids in the intestines of seven FAP (familial adenomatous polyposis) patients.

FAP is a rare genetic deficiency condition where a person lacks the ability to produce the secondary bile acids (produced by gut bacteria) which derive from primary bile acids produced in the liver. Bile acids are important for effective digestion.

A February 26, 2020 study by University Of California San Diego (UCSD) found that microbes play an intimate role in the production of bile acids. In a trial of mapping the microbiome of mice, they found that 70% of the molecules in our bodies are actually produced by our gut bacteria. UCSD researchers "have created the first-ever map of all the molecules in every organ of a mouse and the ways in which they are modified by microbes," according to the UCSD press release. The research team was led by Pieter Dorrestein, PhD, professor at the UCSD Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Robert Quinn, PhD, assistant professor at Michigan State University (see article https://health.ucsd.edu/news/releases/Pages/2020-02-26-how-resident-microbes-restructure-body-chemistry.aspx ). The findings were first published in Nature.com (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2047-9 ).

The production of these metabolites have been linked to a family of bacteria called Ruminococcaceae, according to the Stanford study. The deficiency of these metabolites makes individuals particularly susceptible to ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Specifically by testing their stool samples, deoxycholic acid and lithocholic acid were much lower in stool specimens taken from the ulcerative colitis patients.

Currently ulcerative colitis patients endure an invasive surgery putting them at risk of other health issues such as infections. Over a million Americans have been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis.

The Stanford findings were first published online in Cell Host & Microbe. More information is available at Stanford University's website, http://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2020/02/stanford-scientists-link-ulcerative-colitis-to-missing-gut-micro.html .

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