Targeting nonalcoholic fatty liver disease via gut microbiome-centered therapies

ABSTRACT

Humans possess abundant amounts of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, viruses, and archaea, in their gut. Patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) exhibit alterations in their gut microbiome and an impaired gut barrier function. Preclinical studies emphasize the significance of the gut microbiome in the pathogenesis of NAFLD. In this overview, we explore how adjusting the gut microbiome could serve as an innovative therapeutic strategy for NAFLD. We provide a summary of current information on untargeted techniques such as probiotics and fecal microbiota transplantation, as well as targeted microbiome-focused therapies including engineered bacteria, prebiotics, postbiotics, and phages for the treatment of NAFLD.

KEYWORDS:

• NAFLD
• fecal microbiota transplantation
• bacteriophages
• probiotics
• postbiotics
• NASH
• obesity

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

M.K. is supported by a ZONMW GGG grant 2021 (10140262110036), H.H. is supported by an NWO Aspasia grant 2022 [015.017.050], M.N. is supported by a personal NWO-VICI grant 2020 [09150182010020], A.S.M is supported by a Niels Stensen grant 2023.