The 2012 publication of the first results from the Human Microbiome Project reignited interest in the microbes that live inside us. The most startling discovery? The fact that bacteria far outnumber the cells in our body. The microbiome provides anywhere between 2 million to 20 million genes to the human genome. That dwarfs the 20,000 our own cells contribute.

Humans don’t have all the enzymes we need to digest our own diet Lita Proctor Ph.D., NHGRI’s HMP program manager said at the time. Microbes in the gut break down many of the proteins lipids and carbohydrates in our diet into nutrients that we can then absorb. Moreover the microbes produce beneficial compounds like vitamins and anti-inflammatories that our genome cannot produce.

The Gut’s Role in Mental Health

Emerging research underscores the seemingly unlikely way our gut microbiome plays a part in conditions such as schizophrenia. That being said most of the established research has largely overlooked the influence of lifestyle factors.

One of the most recent studies appearing in JAMA Psychiatry takes a closer look at several links between gut microbiome diversity and schizophrenia. More specifically the researchers explored multiple factors diagnosis treatment resistance and clozapine response while accounting for demographic and lifestyle factors.

The study exposed notably less microbial richness in those with schizophrenia compared to the control group. The data linked distinct microbiome variations to both treatment resistance and clozapine exposure.

The findings suggest that clozapine might induce gut microbiome changes. However preexisting microbiome differences could also play a part in treatment resistance.

This is the first study to investigate the gut microbiome in relation to treatment response and treatment resistance in schizophrenia lead author and University of Queensland PhD student Svetlina Vasileva explained. Unlike some previous studies we also adjusted for factors commonly confounded with schizophrenia and gut microbiome composition including lifestyle factors like diet physical health and medications.

The study’s authors stressed the need to consider lifestyle and medication effects in subsequent studies to get a better grasp of the gut-brain connection in schizophrenia.

The Gut Microbiome Barometer

This recent development builds on earlier research that identified dramatic differences in the gut composition of schizophrenia (SCZ) and healthy control (HC) patients. These findings hint at the gut’s potential role as a biomarker.

The study also identified distinct gut microbiota profiles based on the type of antipsychotic medication the patients were taking. Those on atypical antipsychotics showed higher levels of anti-inflammatory bacteria such as Faecalibacterium prausnitzii versus those on more traditional antipsychotics who boasted higher levels of beneficial and pathogenic bacteria.

Source: https://www.psychiatrist.com/news/gut-microbiome-breakthroughs-revolutionize-schizophrenia-treatment/