title: Taking it Personally: Personalized Utilization of the Human Microbiome in Health and Disease.
abstract: The genomic revolution enabled the clinical inclusion of an immense body of person-specific information to an extent that is revolutionizing medicine and science. The gut microbiome, our "second genome," dynamically integrates signals from the host and its environment, impacting health and risk of disease. Herein, we summarize how individualized characterization of the microbiome composition and function may assist in personalized diagnostic assessment, risk stratification, disease prevention, treatment decision-making, and patients' follow up. We further discuss the limitations, pitfalls, and challenges that the microbiome field faces in integrating patient-specific microbial data into the clinical realm. Finally, we highlight how recent insights into personalized modulation of the microbiome, by nutritional and pre-, pro-, and post-biotic intervention, may lead to development of individualized approaches that may enable us to harness the microbiome as a central precision medicine target.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel; Internal Medicine Department, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv 6423906, Israel; Research Center for Digestive Tract and Liver Diseases, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6423906, Israel.
authors.forename: Niv
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zmora
authors.affiliation: Department of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel; Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zeevi
authors.affiliation: Department of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel; Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel.
authors.forename: Tal
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Korem
authors.affiliation: Department of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel; Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel. Electronic address: eran.segal@weizmann.ac.il.
authors.forename: Eran
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Segal
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel. Electronic address: eran.elinav@weizmann.ac.il.
authors.forename: Eran
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Elinav
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000069196:Gastrointestinal Microbiome; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D057285:Precision Medicine / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends*