Next generation probiotics in disease amelioration

Chih-Jung Chang ^b,c,1, Tzu-Lung Lin ^b,1, Yu-Ling Tsai ^b,1, Tsung-Ru Wu ⁱ, Wei-Fan Lai ^g, Chia-Chen Lu ^h,*, Hsin-Chih Lai ^{a,b,c,d,e,f,**}

a Department of Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Science, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University,

Gueishan, Taoyuan, 33302, Taiwan

b Microbiota Research Center and Emerging Viral Infections Research Center, Chang Gung University, Gueishan,

Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan

c Chang Gung Immunology Consortium, Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Gueishan, Taoyuan, 33305, Taiwan

d Department of Laboratory Medicine, Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Gueishan, Taoyuan, 33305, Taiwan

e Research Center for Chinese Herbal Medicine, College of Human Ecology, Chang Gung University of Science and

Technology, Gueishan, Taoyuan, 33303, Taiwan

f Research Center for Food and Cosmetic Safety, College of Human Ecology, Chang Gung University of Science and

Technology, Gueishan, Taoyuan 33303, Taiwan

g Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Gueishan, Taoyuan, 33302, Taiwan

h Department of Respiratory Therapy, Fu Jen Catholic University, Xinzhuang, New Taipei City, 24205, Taiwan

i Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan

Studies on the role of gut commensal bacteria in health development have rapidly attracted much more attention beyond the classical pathogens over the last decade. Many important reports have highlighted the changes in the gut microbiota (dysbiosis) are closely related to development of intra- and extra-intestinal, chronic inflammation related diseases such as colitis, obesity/metabolic syndromes, diabetes mellitus, liver diseases, cardiovascular diseases and also cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. To circumvent these difficulties, the strategy of modulating the structure of the gut microbiota has been under intensive study and shed more light on amelioration of these inflammation related diseases. While traditional probiotics generally show marginal ameliorative effects, emerging next generation probiotics start to reveal as new preventive and therapeutic tools. Recent studies have unraveled many potential next generation probiotics (NGP). These include Prevotella copri and Christensenella minuta that control insulin resistance, Parabacteroides goldsteinii, Akkermansia muciniphila and Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron that reverse obesity and insulin resistance, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii that protects mice against intestinal diseases, and Bacteroides fragilis that reduces inflammation and shows anticancer effect. New agents will soon be revealed for targeted therapy on specific inflammation related diseases. The important roles of next generation probiotics and gut microbiota normobiosis on the maintenance of intestinal integrity and homeostasis are emphasized.