Gut Archaea in the context of human diseases

• Main Authors: Agnieszka Krawczyk, Dominika Salamon, Kinga Kowalska-Duplaga, Tomasz Gosiewski
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Index Copernicus International S.A. 2020-12-01
• Series: Postępy Higieny i Medycyny Doświadczalnej
• Subjects: archaea; gut microbiota; chronic diseases; methanogens
• Online Access: http://phmd.pl/gicid/01.3001.0014.6166

Recently, thanks to the revolution of molecular biology techniques, there has been a rapid development of research on human intestinal microbiome. The use of modern molecular methods has confirmed that the human gastrointestinal tract is the habitat of a huge number of microorganisms forming a complex ecosystem. This ecosystem contains microorganisms belonging to three main domains: Bacteria, Archaea and Eukaryota, which play an important role in human health and disease. Recently, more and more evidence has emerged indicating the role of microorganisms in pathogenesis of multiple diseases. As a result of this, intestinal microorganisms have been recognized on the one hand as a factor that may be involved in inducing metabolic, inflammatory or neuropsychiatric diseases, and on the other hand as a potential therapeutic target. When considering the pathogenesis of specific diseases, most researchers focus primarily on the role of bacteria and fungi, while there are only few studies that include archaeons. These microorganisms, even though relatively small in number, may prove to be a key element in research on the role of the microbiome in the etiology of various diseases. The aim of this work is a systematic review of knowledge on the participation of intestinal archaeons in the course of selected diseases.