Considering gut microbiota in treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Advances in the understanding of the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) have revealed a role for gut microbiota dysbiosis in driving this disease. This suggests the possibility that approaches to restore a healthy host-microbiota relationship might be a means of ameliorating T2D. Indeed, recent studies indicate that many currently used treatments for T2D are reported to impact gut microbiota composition. Such changes in gut microbiota may mediate and/or reflect the efficacy of these interventions. This article outlines the rationale for considering the microbiota as a central determent of development of T2D and, moreover, reviews evidence that impacting microbiota might be germane to amelioration of T2D, both in terms of understanding mechanisms that mediate efficacy of exiting T2D therapies and in developing novel treatments for this disorder.

Keywords: Diabetes; dietary fiber; inflammation; microbiota metformin.

Figure 1.

Overview of how a dysbiotic gut microbiota can promote type 2 diabetes (a) and how microbiota-based therapies might treat and/or prevent this disorder (b).