Tofacitinib effects on IBD human microbiome
This study investigated the impact of Tofacitinib citrate, a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor used in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), on the human gut microbiota using a short-term colon model. Fecal microbiota from three Crohn's disease (CD) donors was used to inoculate bioreactors simulating luminal and mucosal compartments under anaerobic conditions. Tofacitinib-treated samples and drug-free controls were incubated for 48 hours. Samples from both compartments were collected for 16S rRNA gene sequencing (V3 and V4 region) to assess taxonomic changes, along with parallel measurements of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), lactate, ammonium, gas, and pH to monitor microbial activity.