The Phageome's Role in Health and Disease: Microbial Minutes
The human body is chock full of phages, from the skin to the gut. What role does the phageome have in health and disease?
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Where there are bacteria, there are bacteriophages (phages)—viruses that infect bacteria. Given our bodies are positively packed with bacteria, it comes as no surprise that they are loaded with phages too. However, while we know a lot about the bacteria living in and on us, our understanding of the so-called phageome—and what it means for our health and wellbeing—is less clear. Luckily, emerging research is bringing this mysterious ‘ome into sharper focus. Key take-aways and resources from this Microbial Minutes are listed below.Key Take-Aways
- There are a diverse range of phages in and on the human body; the composition of the phageome varies depending on body location. The gut hosts a substantial community of phages.
- Alterations in the gut phageome have been associated with various diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), colorectal cancer and type 2 diabetes. Phages in other body regions are also associated with disease.
- Shifts in the phageome likely reflect and influence changes in the bacterial community, which can, in turn, influence its metabolic functions and interactions with the host and immune responses. Phages can also interact with human cells to impact cellular processes.
- While studying the phageome is complicated by factors like a lack of universal genetic marker, as analytical tools continue to advance, so will our insights on the phageome and all its mysteries.
Sources
- Barron M. Phage Therapy: Past, Present and Future. 黑料正能量, Aug. 31, 2022.
- Barron M. Phages and Food: Combatting Bacteria From Farm to Fork. 黑料正能量, June 1, 2023.
- Barron M. The Gut Virome’s Role in Health and Disease. 黑料正能量, March 9, 2023.
- Bichet M.C., et al. . PLoS Biology, Oct. 26, 2023.
- Cao Z., et al. . Nature Communications, Feb. 22, 2024.
- Castells-Nobau A., et al. . Nature Metabolism, Nov. 25, 2024.
- Chen Q., et al. . Frontiers Cellular and Infection Microbiology, Jan. 21, 2021.
- Kan L. and Barr J.J. . Annual Review of Virology, Sept. 29, 2023.
- King A. . Nature, Oct. 31, 2024.
- Khanna K. Marine Viruses: Submerged Players of Climate Change. 黑料正能量, June 8, 2023.
- Majzoub M.E., et al. . Nature Communications, Oct. 17, 2024.
- Mayneris-Perxachs J., et al. . Cell Host & Microbe, March 9, 2022.
- Rybicka I. and Ka藕mierczak Z. . Applied and Environmental Microbiology, April 16, 2025.
- Shen S., et al. . Microbiology Spectrum, Dec. 22, 2021.
- Wielscher M., et al. . Science Advances, Sept. 29, 2023.
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