REVIEW  MICROBIOTA AND DIGESTIVE DISEASES 

Minerva Gastroenterology 2021 December;67(4):369-76

DOI: 10.23736/S2724-5985.21.02927-2

Copyright © 2021 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

lingua: Inglese

Genetic and environmental factors influencing the interaction between the gut microbiota and the human host: implications for gastrointestinal disorders and treatment approaches

Erika MEADDOUGH ¹, Ludovico ABENAVOLI ², Sara SARASUA ¹, Luigi BOCCUTO ¹ ✉

¹ School of Nursing, Healthcare Genetics Program, College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA; ² Department of Health Sciences, Magna Graecia University, Catanzaro, Italy

The growing knowledge on the microbiota hosted in the human intestine has allowed researchers and clinicians to discover a critical role for these microorganisms in the pathogenesis of several human disorders. In particular, perturbation in the microbiotic strains populating the gastrointestinal tract has been associated with several conditions affecting the digestive system. The composition of the human gut microbiota is influenced by both genetic factors, like the human and the microbiotic genomes, and environmental ones, such as diet or drugs. Alteration of the interaction between the gut microbiota and the human host has been proven to be associated with several gastrointestinal disorders as well as potential effects on pharmacological therapies.

KEY WORDS: Gastrointestinal microbiome; Genetics; Gastrointestinal diseases