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𝗥𝗼𝗯𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝘂𝗽 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗲𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗡𝗔𝗙𝗟𝗗
𝗨𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝟭,𝟮𝟬𝟬 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲, 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗡𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗙𝗮𝘁𝘁𝘆 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 (𝗡𝗔𝗙𝗟𝗗). 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘃𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝘀 𝗡𝗔𝗙𝗟𝗗, 𝗼𝗯𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗲 𝟮 𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗲𝘁𝗲𝘀, 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘀, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗯𝗶𝗱𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗡𝗔𝗙𝗟𝗗.
The signatures found are typical specific gut microbiome species and predict bacterial metabolites, that can help differentiate NAFLD from non-NAFLD patients. They allow differentiation from other diseases and are therefore particularly suitable for targeted diagnostics. Supported by machine learning models, the researchers achieved a diagnostic accuracy of over 90 % with the collected data sets.
NAFLD affects up to 40 % of the population in western countries and is one of the most common metabolic diseases worldwide. It is characterized by an excessive storage of fat in the liver cells, which can lead to an approximately 10 % increase in liver weight with a reduced liver function.
Despite intensive research, the exact mechanisms of disease development and its progression (pathophysiology) are not yet fully understood. The gut microbiome appears to play an important role here, as it influences the so-called gut-liver axis and could therefore be significantly involved in the development of NAFLD. An international research team led by the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute (Leibniz-HKI) has investigated the question of whether the composition of the microbiome consisting of many different microorganism species, could be an indicator of NAFLD. The study confirmed exactly this: A specific composition of the gut microbiome, in a sense the fingerprint or indeed its signature, could be used in the future as a tool for more precise diagnoses and new forms of therapy for Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, for example.
𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗡𝗔𝗙𝗟𝗗
“The occurrence of NAFLD in combination with other metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes is a particular challenge, as it makes it difficult to distinguish specific microbiome signatures,” explains the leader of the study Gianni Panagiotou. “We were able to identify signatures that are clearly associated with NAFLD and could enable a differentiated diagnosis.” The composition of the gut microbiome is generally influenced by various factors such as obesity, age, diet, gender or medication.
𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗺𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲
In the study, state-of-the-art ecological network analyses were used to decipher how different microorganisms interact in their natural environment, the human gut. These analyses rely on interdisciplinary, data-based, and computer-aided methods to better understand the relationships between species and their surroundings. The researchers showed that specific microbiome networks are directly linked to the development of NAFLD. These approaches provide not only precise diagnostic insights but also a deeper understanding of the disease mechanisms.
𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀: 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗲
Therapeutic approaches could be proposed based on these microbiome signatures. For example, it is conceivable that microbial consortia, i.e. selected groups of microorganisms, produced specifically in the laboratory could be used to positively influence intestinal health.
“Our results open up new possibilities for personalized therapy that is precisely tailored to the individual needs of the patient,” says Gianni Panagiotou. He holds the Chair of Excellence in Microbiome Dynamics at the University of Jena and heads the department of the same name at the Leibniz-HKI. His work is dedicated to a central topic of the Cluster of Excellence “Balance of the Microverse”, the understanding of the interactions between microbiomes and their environment.
The results of the study underline the importance of the gut microbiome for the development of new methods in personalized medicine. The combination of genetic, clinical and ecological data opens up new possibilities to better understand and more effectively treat metabolic diseases such as NAFLD.
The study, which was recently published in the journal Microbiome, received funding from the German Research Foundation as part of the Jena Cluster of Excellence “Balance of the Microverse” and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the European Commission through the Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme, among others.
Prof. Dr. Gianni Panagiotou
+49 3641 532-1759
gianni.panagiotou@leibniz-hki.de
Nychas E, Marfil-Sánchez A, Chen X, Mirhakkak M, Li H, Jia Q, Xu A, Nielsen HB, Niewdorp M, Loomba R, Ni Y, Panagiotou G (2025) Discovery of robust and highly specific microbiome signatures of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Microbiome 13,10, https://doi.org/10.1186/s40168-024-01990-y
https://www.leibniz-hki.de/en/press-release/what-microbes-tell-us-about-nonalcoh...
Gianni Panagiotou is head of the Department of "Microbiome Dynamics";
Anna Schroll, Friedrich-Schiller University Jena
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Gianni Panagiotou is head of the Department of "Microbiome Dynamics";
Anna Schroll, Friedrich-Schiller University Jena
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