In this review, we revisit the pharmacological relevance of four classes of gut microbial metabolites in CMD: short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), bile acids, methylamines and indoles. Unravelling the signalling mechanisms of the microbial–mammalian metabolic axis adds one more layer of complexity to the physiopathology of CMD and opens new avenues for the development of microbiota-based pharmacological therapies.

Highlights

• Gut microbiota communicates with its mammalian host via microbial signalling metabolites.
• Disease phenotypes can be modulated by microbiome intervention.
• Microbial signalling metabolites impact signalling networks involved in disease.
• Designing microbiome-inspired drugs is a promising strategy.

 

Current Opinion in Pharmacology, Volume 25, December 2015, Pages 36–44

Authors:  Ana Luisa Neves,Julien Chilloux, Magali H Sarafian,Mohd Badrin Abdul Rahim,Claire L Boulangé,Marc-Emmanuel Dumas

doi:10.1016/j.coph.2015.09.013