title: The gut microbiome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  More than a trillion, mostly good, microbes live within our gastrointestinal tract and are responsible for vital metabolic, immune and nutritional functions. Dysbiosis, meaning a maladaptive imbalance of the microbiome, is associated with many common diseases and is a target for therapy.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This article provides an overview of the gut microbiome in health and disease, highlighting conditions such as Clostridium difficile infection, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, with which dysbiosis is associated. Information about treatments that affect the gut microbiome, including probiotics and faecal microbiota transplant, are discussed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As our knowledge of the microbiome increases, we are likely to better understand the complex interactions that cause disease, and develop new and more effective treatments for many common conditions.
authors.forename: Mayenaaz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sidhu
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: van der Poorten
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016360:Clostridioides difficile / Q000472:pathogenicity; D064806:Dysbiosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000069467:Fecal Microbiota Transplantation; D000069196:Gastrointestinal Microbiome / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D043183:Irritable Bowel Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / Q000503:physiopathology; D019936:Probiotics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents