Soon, gut micro-organisms to help cure diseases

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has launched a project to develop non-invasive techniques for the detection of several “hard-to-treat” medical disorders by manipulating micro-organisms present in the digestive system, which will enable precise and faster therapy more attuned to Indian conditions.

Titled 'Comprehensive Analysis of Niche Microbial Dysbiosis in Human Diseases', the project will cover five disorders, including Parkinson’s disease, acne, inflammatory bowel disease and severe alcoholic hepatitis.

The Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH), Chandigarh, is the nodal laboratory for the project and five CISR laboratories are involved in the research work. It is expected to be complete in about three years.

“Most medical disorders are connected with the gut,” Dr Rashmi Kumar, heading the project at IMTECH, said. “If we are able to identify the microbial signatures present in the gut of the humans from blood or stool samples, and then manipulate or modify them, we will be able to devise more effective remedies,” she added. Artificial Intelligenge models would be integrated into the analysis tools to create a non-invasive model that can predict the stage and onset of a disease simply by checking the patient's gut profile.

Microbials, commonly called micro-organisms or microbes, are microscopic living organisms found everywhere in the environment and within living organisms, including humans. Some are beneficial, aiding in processes like digestion and nutrient release, while others can cause diseases.

The aim is to identify a microbial sequence that develops when an ailment or disorder begins to set in a healthy individual. The premise is that an imbalance or change in gut bacteria, known as dysbiosis, is a direct cause or a key indicator of these disorders.

Dr Rashmi said that an individual’s eating habits and probiotics as well as other environmental and genetic factors have an impact on gut health. Every individual has a particular microbial population which determines how it changes or associates with disease. “If we can adjust the gut microbiome, it can be easily tolerated and have fewer side effects. This will be very helpful for chronic diseases where the traditional therapy is very long and has high side effects,” she said.

However, at present, no large medical datasets pertaining to the Indian population are available and primarily western standards are being used to determine the cause of disorders and remedial actions.

The CSIR is already undertaking a wider five-year study to develop indigenous standards for medical diagnosis and treatment which would be more attuned to the Indian population than the Western standards that are being presently followed.

The allopathic system of medicine currently in vogue in India is based on the parameters devised by the West. The view of the scientific and medical fraternity is that the genetic profile, genealogy environment, living conditions, diet and level of physical activity of the population in the sub-continent are quite different from that in the West and hence, the medical parameters devised for the Western populace may not be ideal for Indian conditions.