Title [MINIREVIEW] Modulation of gut microbiome in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: pro-, pre-, syn-, and antibiotics
Author Min Seok Cho1, Sang Yeol Kim2, Ki Tae Suk2*, and Byung-Yong Kim1*
Address 1ChunLab, Inc., Seoul 06725, Republic of Korea, 2Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon 24253, Republic of Korea
Bibliography Journal of Microbiology, 56(12),855–867, 2018,
DOI 10.1007/s12275-018-8346-2
Key Words NAFLD, gut-liver axis, microbiome, probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics
Abstract Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common types of liver diseases worldwide and its incidence continues to increase. NAFLD occurs when the body can no longer effectively store excess energy in the adipose tissue. Despite the increasing prevalence of NAFLD, making lifestyle changes, including increased exercise, is often an elusive goal for patients with NAFLD. The liver directly connects to the gut-gastrointestinal milieu via the portal vein, which are all part of the gut-liver axis. Therefore, the gut-microbiome and microbial products have been actively studied as likely key factors in NAFLD pathophysiology. Hence, dysbiosis of the gut microbiome and therapeutic manipulation of the gut-liver axis are being investigated. Novel therapeutic approaches for modulating gut microbiota through the administration of probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, and antibiotics have been proposed with numerous promising initial reports on the effectiveness and clinical applications of these approaches. This review delves into the current evidence on novel therapies that modulate gut microbiota and discusses ongoing clinical trials targeting the gut-liver axis for the management and prevention of NAFLD.