The gut microbiome plays a key role in protecting the colon from tissue injury, according to findings published on Mar. 10 by investigators co-led by Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University. The study, which appeared in Cell, highlights how bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract produce nicotinic acid, a molecule that helps safeguard colon cells.
This research is significant because it may help explain how various intestinal disorders develop and could lead to new treatments targeting molecular signals in specific regions of the colon.
Ophir Klein, MD, PhD, executive director of Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children's and senior author of the study, said, "Our research opens the door to treatments that focus on restoring key molecular signals in vulnerable regions of the colon."
The study found that different sections of the colon—ascending, transverse, descending, and sigmoid—have unique functions and disease risks. Investigators discovered that these regional differences are regulated by the gut microbiome through production of nicotinic acid (niacin), part of the vitamin B3 family. Laboratory mice with a healthy microbiome produced more nicotinic acid in their upper colons and showed greater protection against cell damage compared to mice without a microbiome.
Researchers also examined human colon tissue samples and observed similar regional characteristics as seen in mice. In patients with Crohn's disease—a bowel disorder marked by inflammation due to abnormal immune activity—the protective mechanism was reduced.
Jeremie Rispal, PhD, postdoctoral scholar at the University of California, San Francisco and first author of the study, said, "Our work highlights the importance of studying host-microbiome interactions with careful attention to specific colon regions, rather than treating the colon as a uniform organ. We learned that the microbiome controls regional differences and tissue protection."
Further research will be needed to clarify exactly how this protective effect works and whether it can be used for new therapies for intestinal disorders.
