The complex link between the gut microbiome and obesity-associated metabolic disorders: Mechanisms and therapeutic opportunities
Kexin Zhang, Qi Zhang, Hongyan Qiu, Yanhui Ma, Ningning Hou, Jingwen Zhang, Chengxia Kan, Fang Han, Xiaodong Sun, Junfeng Shi
Abstract
Microbial interactions are widespread and important processes that support the link between disease and microbial ecology. The gut microbiota is a major source of microbial stimuli that can have detrimental or beneficial effects on human health. It is also an endocrine organ that maintains energy homeostasis and host immunity. Obesity is a highly and increasingly prevalent metabolic disease and the leading cause of preventable death worldwide. An imbalance in the gut microbiome is associated with several diseases including obesity-related metabolic disorders. This review summarizes the complex association between the gut microbiome and obesity-associated metabolic diseases and validates the role and mechanisms of ecological dysregulation in the gut in obesity-associated metabolic disorders. Therapies that could potentially alleviate obesity-associated metabolic diseases by modulating the gut microbiota are discussed.