Conclusion
This is a very exciting time in the study of the microbiome due to recent technological advancements and rapidly accumulating knowledge. Large-scale efforts have described in great detail the constituents of the healthy human microbiome and its functional capacity, and these studies are followed by similar characterizations of the microbiome in particular diseased states. The critical next stage that is underway is to investigate further the functions of the microbiome. These studies will provide further insight into the host–microbiome interactions that contribute to health and disease, and eventually lead to therapies targeting the microbiome to maintain health and to treat a variety of diseases.
Acknowledgements
None.
Curr Opin Gastroenterol. 2015;31(1):69-75. © 2015 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins