Through a Crystal Ball: Using Bacterial Signatures to Predict Intestinal Diseases

Each of us has a mix of microbes that colonizes our intestines, as unique as our fingerprints. Most microbes are beneficial and are essential for keeping us healthy. If the microbes in our intestines are out of balance and too many harmful microbes take control, intestinal diseases might result. Recent advances in computers and laboratory methods have helped scientists understand much more about our intestinal microbes and their unique signatures: who they are, what they do, and which useful or harmful substances they produce. We wanted to know which bacteria can cause intestinal diseases, and whether we could use these bacterial signatures to foresee the futures of patients. We analyzed the bacteria in patients with intestinal diseases and identified certain bacteria that can produce harmful compounds. This information could help doctors predict who is more at risk of developing intestinal disease and which treatment could work best for each patient.