A Holistic Approach. There is more to a human than the cells it is composed of. There are millions of small microbes living within and on a person that makes a person who they are. It impacts their weight, their moods, their mental state and overall wellbeing. These microbes have a dynamic relationship with the human (host) and it is impacting the efficiency of drugs and how drugs should be administered. The increased understanding of the Microbiota has lead to the development of two new fields: Pharmacomicrobiomics and Pharmacometabolmics. The microbiome regulates host health and disease. It is a mediator of drug action. It is the host associated microbiomes that regulate human bodily functions. It is important to take the whole person into consideration when developing a drug plan for them. The microbiome is a living ecosystem on and in our bodies. They are major players in the efficiency of drug administration and how drugs are spread within the body. Understanding a person’s microbiota will enable a more personalized drug treatment plan.
The Holobiont
The Holobiont now must be taken into consideration when discussing the drug efficiency and the host. Holobiont is the host and the many other living species living in or around it and together they form a ecological unit. It summarizes the host-microbiota interactions. The key word in this definition is living. The living organisms are able to adapt and react with the drugs taken by the host and overall impact the effectiveness. It provides a holistic approach to the person. Pharmacomicrobiomics embodies this concept. It now looks at a person beyond its genetic makeup. It will create drugs that encompasses the microbial function and how drugs will impact that.
A holistic approach, calls for an expanded view of a person. It will expand the realm of drug development. It will call for the need for more pharmacists and researchers. However this brings an increased challenge as the human microbiota is constantly changing and evolving as a person changes environment, eats differently, exercise patterns and so much more.
Why Does the Microbiota Matter?
The gut microbiota is interconnected to the brain. It regulates brain development and the alternation in the composition gut microbiome has been linked to mental disorders such as anxiety, bipolar disorder and depression. However it is a double edged sword because the medications used to treat these disorders also inhibit the growth of gut bacteria. The same gut bacteria that helps maintain homeostasis within the body. This interconnectedness calls for an increase in the understanding of the microbiota to improve and enhance drugs.
The microbiome has also been linked to major human diseases such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, cancer and inflammatory bowel disease. For obesity, the dietary habits of a person influence the composition of the gut microbiome. The microbes in the gut helps break down food and turns it into nutrients that we can use. However foods high in fat take longer to digest and impact the composition of the microbiota essential to maintaining everyday life. In terms of cancer, the microbiome has accounted for approximately 20% of all cases of cancer worldwide. There is now potential for microbiome based therapeutics to treat cancer. The microbiome can be critical in improving patient response to immunotherapy. Immunotherapy targets the immune system to enable it to recognize and target cancer cells. It is going to be interesting to see how the understanding the microbiome enhances cancer research and treatment practices down the road.
Time for New
This is an exciting time in the field of pharmacy and drug research. Pharmacists will now be able to cater drug development beyond what is it is today. It will be exciting to see the connections between microbiome and drug development grow past its infancy. We will be able to fight against some of the most fatal diseases such as cancer and hypertension. This is a time for new approaches and responses to diseases. It is once we fully understand the microbiome we will fully be able to understand the human body.
The Good, The Bad, The Microbiome 