Guus Roeselers - ISC Intelligence in Science

THE MICROBIAL ECOLOGY OF THE HUMAN GUT
AND IT’S SIGNIFICANCE FOR DEVELOPMENT AND FUTURE HEALTH
Guus Roeselers, PhD
Group Leader Gut Microbiology
Danone Nutricia Research - Utrecht
23-02-2016, Brussels
BACTERIA AND HOST INTERACTIONS AT
THE GUT EPITHELIAL BARRIER
 The gut epithelium covers over 250 m2.
Enough to cover a tennis court!
 skin merely ~2 m2
 most of our “outside” is tucked away inside
‒ Digestion
‒ Adsorption
‒ Barier function
‒ Innate defense
‒ Mucus production
‒ Hormone secretion
GUT MICROBIOTA COMPOSITION CHANGES WITH AGE
Figure from: Ottman et al., Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Biology, 2012
figure from: Renz et al., (2012) Nature Reviews Immunology
DEVELOPMENT OF GUT IMMUNITY
WHAT IS CAUSE & WHAT IS EFFECT?
WHAT MAKES AN ECOSYSTEM?
HABITAT CONDITION VS TRANSMISSION HISTORY
Acquisition of the microbiome in early life by vertical transmission,
and factors modifying mother-to-child microbial transmission.
1000 DAYS
Figure from: Gonzalez et al 2011 EMBO reports
Many modern practices can reduce organism and gene flow
JULIUS STUDY:
Multi-country, randomised, double-blind, controlled study
Elective C-section infants
Randomised at birth
N=153
Vaginally delivered infants
Reference
N=30
Control
Prebiotic
scGOS/lcFOS
N=50
main parameters
•
•
•
Bifidobacterium sp population
pH &SCFA
Safety and tolerance
N=51
Synbiotic
scGOS/lcFOS
B. breve M-16V
N=52
Study Duration : 22 weeks
Intervention: 16 weeks
follow-up: 6 weeks
DELAYED COLONIZATION OF BIFIDOBACTERIA
IN C-SECTION DELIVERED INFANTS
Total Bifidobacteria count (Log10 16S
rRNA copy number/g feces)
Synbiotics restore the colonization of
Bifidobacteria in C-section born infants
10
9
8
*
*
*
*
Wk 2
Wk 4
Wk 8
*
7
6
5
4
3
Day3/5
Control
Synbiotic
Prebiotic
Wk 12
Wk 16
Wk 22
Reference
Synbiotic not only closes the gap but consistently achieves the
reference levels of bifidobacteria from the first days of life
Fecal pH level (LS Mean)
intervention lowers faecal pH
7
6,8
6,6
6,4
6,2
6
5,8
5,6
5,4
5,2
5
*
Day 3/5
*
*
*
Wk 2
Wk 4
Synbiotic
Wk 8
wk 12
Prebiotic
Wk 16
Wk 22
Control
Significantly lower faecal pH in the synbiotic group at D3/5 compared to
the control group. This effect remained significant until 4 weeks of age
Incidence of reported skin related
disorders & Eczema (AEs)
Control
(N=48)
Synbiotic
(N=51)
P-value
Skin related
disorders
42%
20%
0.038
Atopic Dermatitis
Eczema
21%
5.9%
0.037
Reported AEs
A possible protective effect on eczema/atopic dermatitis in early life
KEY FINDINGS
 Compensation of the delayed colonisation by bifidobacteria in C-
section born infants.
 Improved gut physiology parameters (pH)
 Possible protective effect on eczema/atopic dermatitis in early life
TAKE HOME MESSAGES
 Nutrition represents a fundamental basis of gut homeostasisis
 Early life programmed microbial colonization offers a unique window
for intervention wit targeted nutrition
 Synbiotics refers to a combination of probiotics and prebiotics in a
form of synergism
 Synbiotic (B. breve M16v + GOS/FOS) prevents the delayed
colonization of Bifidobacterium in C-section born infants
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Nutricia Research (Netherlands)
KK Womens’s and Children Hospital, Singapore
Chua Mei Chien (PI)
Anne Goh
Chiang Wen Chin
Jan Knol
Kaouther Ben Amor
Jan Van der Mooren
Ruurd van Elburg
Egbert Biesheuvel
Sophie Swinkel
Rajeshwar Rao
Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Thailand
Voranush Chongsrisawat
Surasith Chaithongwongwatthana
Nipon Khemapech
Nutricia Research (Singapore)
Rocio Martin
Christophe Lay
Charmaine Chew
Su Yin Low
Chee Guan Foo
John Ong
Fiona Wong
Puspita Roy
Siew Tin Gan
Antoinette Winokan
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION