Karen Pendergrass, Standards Team

The microbiome and metallomic signature of multiple sclerosis: how the host withholds zinc from microbes (nutritional immunity), how the enriched pathogens steal it, how dysregulated zinc turns neurotoxic to myelin (with copper as its counterpart), how nickel fuels the enriched hydrogen-and-sulfide guild and cadmium drives the Akkermansia bloom, and how loss of butyrate-producing commensals lowers immune tolerance, with interventions and STOPs assessed through our validation method.

Blood from 30 MS patients and controls was analyzed by ICP-MS for 12 metallic elements.

Faecal microbiota from 29 relapsing-remitting MS patients in exacerbation and 27 controls were sequenced and integrated with 29 published datasets using machine learning.

This review synthesizes population studies linking gut dysbiosis to MS.

This review describes how diet shapes the gut microbiome and the course of multiple sclerosis.

Paired oral and faecal microbiota were profiled in MS patients and controls.

In a longitudinal cohort of 58 MS patients tracked over 4.2 years, baseline gut microbiota predicted disease progression.

Prebiotic Maltose Gel has emerged as a promising microbiome-targeted therapy for bacterial vaginosis (BV), restoring vaginal health by selectively enhancing Lactobacillus populations and suppressing BV-associated anaerobes. This dual-action intervention not only validates the gel’s therapeutic efficacy but also confirms the accuracy of BV’s microbiome signature as a clinical marker.

Probiotic supplementation addresses microbial dysbiosis and inflammatory processes in PCOS, improving metabolic and hormonal outcomes, thereby validating its role as an MBTI.

Probiotic interventions, particularly those involving Lactobacillus crispatus and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, restore balance to the vaginal microbiome in bacterial vaginosis (BV). By reducing dominant anaerobes like Gardnerella vaginalis and promoting recolonization with protective Lactobacillus, these therapies validate both their role as microbiome-targeted interventions (MBTIs) and the diagnostic accuracy of the BV microbiome signature.

Probiotics offer a promising microbiome-targeted intervention (MBTI) for managing pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). By restoring beneficial Lactobacillus species and reducing inflammation, they directly counteract the microbial imbalances and immune dysregulation characteristic of PID. This article explores the therapeutic mechanisms of probiotics, their clinical validation, and how they reinforce the accuracy of PID’s microbiome signature as both a diagnostic and therapeutic tool.

Synbiotics restore gut microbiome balance in PCOS, improving insulin sensitivity, reducing inflammation, and normalizing androgen levels. This validation reinforces its role as a microbiome-targeted intervention.

Statins target both microbial imbalances and inflammatory mechanisms in PCOS. By improving gut microbial composition and metabolic parameters, statins validate the microbiome signature of PCOS and enhance fertility and metabolic health outcomes.

Resistant dextrin targets both metabolic and microbial imbalances in PCOS. It reduces fasting blood glucose, lipids, and androgens, while improving microbial composition, supporting its role as a microbiome-targeted intervention (MBTI) for PCOS-related infertility and metabolic health.

Probiotics have emerged as a promising microbiome-targeted intervention (MBTI) for vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC), addressing both microbial imbalances and the host’s immunological and inflammatory mechanisms. By restoring a healthy Lactobacillus-dominated vaginal microbiota, probiotics directly counteract dysbiosis linked to VVC, while their bioactive metabolites such as lactic acid and bacteriocins suppress Candida overgrowth and modulate local immune […]

Cannabidiol (CBD) shows promise as a microbiome-targeted intervention for bacterial vaginosis (BV). It reduces Gardnerella vaginalis viability, disrupts biofilms, and promotes Lactobacillus restoration. CBD’s antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties support its effectiveness, reinforcing the BV microbiome signature’s clinical accuracy and its potential as a viable treatment option.

Curcumin, a polyphenolic compound derived from Curcuma longa, and fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) have shown promise in treating polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a condition often linked with gut dysbiosis. FMT, which restores a balanced microbiome, has been proposed as a strategy to alleviate symptoms of PCOS by modulating microbial composition and reducing inflammation.[1] Curcumin’s anti-inflammatory […]

Vitamin C vaginal tablets represent a compelling microbiome-based therapy for recurrent bacterial vaginosis. By restoring vaginal pH and supporting Lactobacillus reestablishment, this intervention validates both its therapeutic role and the microbial signature of BV.

Boric acid restores microbial balance in the vagina by increasing Lactobacillus and reducing harmful species, making it an effective treatment for recurrent BV and VVC.

HBOT demonstrates complete remission and holds significant promise as a candidate for microbiome-targeted intervention for endometriosis.

Pueraria Flower Extract (PFE) addresses microbial imbalances and inflammation in endometriosis, validating its role as a microbiome-targeted therapy.

By directly targeting microbial dysbiosis, hormonal imbalances, and inflammation, metformin not only validates the clinical relevance of the endometriosis microbiome signature but also positions itself as an effective therapeutic option for the condition.

Metronidazole addresses microbial imbalances in bacterial vaginosis by reducing Gardnerella vaginalis and promoting Lactobacillus growth, but biofilm-related resistance may contribute to high recurrence rates. Adjunct therapies are needed for long-term success.

Metformin targets both the microbiome and inflammatory mechanisms in PCOS, improving insulin sensitivity, reducing hyperandrogenism, and restoring ovulation. Its microbial effects validate the condition’s microbiome signature, making it a promising microbiome-targeted intervention for managing infertility in PCOS.