Microbiota

Gut microbiota is considered the most significant one in maintaining our health. It regulates several functions, including fermentation of food, protection against pathogens, immune/inflammatory response, vitamin production and gut functions, and it contributes to maintain host physiology

The gut microbiota is composed of 6 phyla including Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Fusobacteria, and Verrucomicrobia, fungi such as Candida, Saccharomyces, Malassezia, and Cladosporium, and it also contain viruses, phages, and archaea. When subjected to external changes, the balance of microbiota community can be affected, leading to dysregulation of bodily functions and diseases. Indeed, microbiota is associated with the development of digestive, such as drug-induced enteropathy, inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and visceral hypersensitivity (VH), and extra-digestive disease, including cardiovascular diseases, cancer, respiratory diseases, obesity and diabetes, brain disorders, chronic kidney diseases, and liver diseases. 

Of note, gut microbiota has been identified as a mediator of drug response. 

Our research investigates the changes of gut microbiota in digestive and extra-digestive diseases, including IBD, IBS, VH, obesity and brain diseases, and studies the effects resulting from the modulation of gut microbiota in the counteracting the progression of such diseases.

Our research focuses on three main areas:

• Gut microbiota alterations in diseases

We are currently investigating the changes in enteric bacteria and its metabolites in experimental models of drug-induced enteropathy, VH, obesity, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). 

• Novel therapeutical approaches

We are currently characterizing the effects of probiotics and no-bacterial probiotic in animal models of drug-induced enteropathy, VH, MCI, AD, PD and obesity. 

• Translational studies

We are currently studying changes in gut microbiota and its metabolites in patients in patients with drug-induced enteropathy, obesity, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). In particular, we are characterizing gut microbiota alterations in naïve patients in order to clarify the potential impact that evaluating gut alterations in brain disorders could have on clinical practice, in terms of novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, in the near future.

We are studying the role of gut microbiota on modulating drug response.