Several studies have revealed that the bacteria that reside in our intestines may play a role in preventing a range of inflammatory disorders, including psoriatic arthritis, diabetes, and inflammatory bowel disease.

According to a new study by experts at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, gut microbes may also help prevent sleep difficulties, jet lag, and foodborne illnesses while also enhancing the results of chemotherapy.

The team, led by UVA’s Drs. Sean Moore and Jason Papin, used computer models and “three-dimensional gut organoids” (basically miniature intestines in a dish) to show that microbes in the gut directly influence the circadian rhythm of intestinal cells, as reported in a study published in the peer-reviewed Gastroenterology journal on Saturday.

In particular, the bacteria E. plexicaudatum, Pseudoflavonifactor, and P. goldsteinii were shown to create short-chain fatty acids that reset the internal clock that controls when the cells lining the intestines perform their essential tasks. These acids are essential for important biological processes since they toggle particular genes on or off throughout 24-hour intervals.

UVA discovered that inflammatory bowel illness, diarrhea, ulcers, obesity, and other health problems are linked to this faulty mechanism.

New research, according to the authors, may help doctors target intestinal microbes to boost health, prevent disease, and possibly jet lag.

Why is circadian rhythm important?

Using computer models, the researchers were able to determine which metabolites may be crucial for the circadian rhythm.

“Biology is increasingly a data-rich science and computational methods are becoming necessary to understand what the data tell us about microbial and human physiological systems,” says Papin, whose expertise in computer modeling allowed the researchers to identify the metabolites.

“Systems modeling,” according to Papin, “can help us embrace the complexity of these biological systems to answer questions we have and to help us frame new questions we didn’t even know to ask.

“The future is very bright in biomedical research as we take advantage of the data science and computational methods being developed.”

Image Credit: Getty

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