The Emerging Role of the Microbiome in Precision Medicine: a review

Abstract

The advent of precision medicine has promoted an influx of research relating to the identification of patient-specific factors, both genetic and acquired, which could be targeted and manipulated in the context of disease. The microbiome is a particularly good example of a potential target of these measures, as it represents a diverse array of unique, manipulable factors that is known to play an important role in both normal human physiology and the development of pathology. Given this, the contribution of the microbiome to human disease, as well as the potential utilization of microbial modulation in prevention and treatment, is a burgeoning area of study. In this review, we will consider the advancements that have already been made in our understanding of the role of the microbiome in the fields of cardiology, immunology, psychiatry, and oncology, as well as assess what further research is required to enable the application of these findings to the world of personalized medicine.