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Review
. 2022 Jan 14:12:726792.
doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.726792. eCollection 2021.

Gut Microbiome in Retina Health: The Crucial Role of the Gut-Retina Axis

Gianluca Scuderi  1 , Emidio Troiani  2 , Angelo Maria Minnella  3
Affiliations
Review

Gut Microbiome in Retina Health: The Crucial Role of the Gut-Retina Axis

Gianluca Scuderi et al. Front Microbiol. .

Abstract

The term microbiome means not only a complex ecosystem of microbial species that colonize our body but also their genome and the surrounding environment in which they live. Recent studies support the existence of a gut-retina axis involved in the pathogenesis of several chronic progressive ocular diseases, including age-related macular disorders. This review aims to underline the importance of the gut microbiome in relation to ocular health. After briefly introducing the characteristics of the gut microbiome in terms of composition and functions, the role of gut microbiome dysbiosis, in the development or progression of retinal diseases, is highlighted, focusing on the relationship between gut microbiome composition and retinal health based on the recently investigated gut-retina axis.

Keywords: age-related macular degeneration; gut-retina axis; leaky-gut; microbiome; microbiota; micronutrient; personalized medicine.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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