The Emergent Microbiome: A Revolution for the Life Sciences – Part IX, The Microbiome and Immunotherapy II
Nov 29th, 2016 by David Puleo | News | Recent News & Articles | The Emergent Microbiome Series |
Given that the majority of the human microbiome is found in the gut, it is not surprising that most microbiome-based therapeutic approaches have been used to treat gastrointestinal disorders, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and Clostridium difficile infections. However, growing evidence suggests that targeting the microbiome can have broader therapeutic implications, demonstrating the ever-evolving nature of the microbiome field. Specifically, microbiome modulators could be used to either enhance or suppress the immune response and would thus be considered immunotherapy. Part VIII of this Series reviewed how altering the microbiome could be used in combination with checkpoint blockade. As a continuation to Part VIII, this article will explore how microbiome modulators could be used as single agent immunotherapy to treat autoimmune disease, inflammatory disease, and cancer. Bolded patent documents are further summarized in the table at the end of this ins