Fecal Fungal Microbiota (Mycobiome) Study as a Potential Tool for Precision Medicine in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Abstract

There is growing evidence of the role of fungal microbiota in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Fungi can exert direct pro-inflammatory effects or modify the bacterial composition via interkingdom interactions. Although several studies have demonstrated alterations in the fecal fungal microbiota composition in IBD, there is a wide variation in the mycobiome in different populations, with no definite pattern that can define the mycobiome in IBD having yet been identified. Recent work has suggested that characterizing the fecal fungal composition may influence therapeutic decisions and help to predict outcomes in a subset of IBD patients. In this study, we review the current literature on the emerging role of the fecal mycobiome as a potential tool for precision medicine in IBD.

Keywords: Crohn disease; Inflammatory bowel diseases; Microbiome; Mycobiome; Ulcerative colitis.

Fig. 1

Future studies on fungal microbiota to promote implementation in clinical practice. IBD, inflammatory bowel disease.