Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders and the Microbiome: What is the best strategy for moving microbiome-based therapies for functional gastrointestinal disorders into the clinic?

There have been numerous human studies reporting associations between the intestinal microbiome and functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs), and independently animal studies have explored microbiome-driven mechanisms underlying FGIDs. However, there is often a disconnect between human and animal studies, which hampers translation of microbiome findings to the clinic. Changes in the microbiota composition of patients with FGIDs are generally subtle, while changes in microbial function, reflected in the fecal metabolome, appear to be more precise indicators of disease subtype-specific mechanisms.