Pharmacomicrobiomics: drugs meet the human microbiome

The human body is colonized by a vast diversity of microorganisms, including bacteria, archaea, eukaryotes and viruses. More than 1000 different microbes thrive on human surfaces, such as the gastrointestinal and respiratory tract, and skin. It is estimated, that these microorganisms are at least as abundant as our own, somatic cells. Changes in the microbiome and their interaction with the body are correlated with a wide array of illnesses, ranging from inflammatory bowel disease to cancer.

The microbiome is affected by a number of parameters, including the host intrinsic characteristics (e.g. host genetics, age), diet and lifestyle. Another strong parameter affecting the human microbiome is drugs. Medication can directly affect the human microbiome in composition and function (e.g. antibiotics), but drugs compounds can also serve as metabolic educts, being converted by microbial activity into novel, possibly bioactive compounds.

Pharmacomicrobiomics is an emerging field that investigates the interplay of microbiome and drug response. Understanding the role of the gut microbiome in drug response may enable the development of microbiome-targeting therapy, in order to specifically modulate the microbiome composition, and to enhance drug efficiency for individuals.