Distinct Microbiome and Metabolites Linked with Depression

Amazing stuff! Do you have the guts? The microbiome is one of the wonders of human life!

"... Over the past decade, researchers have linked disturbances within this complicated microbial society to a variety of diseases. Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one such condition, but the studies have been small and the findings imprecise. A study published December 2 in Science Advances changes all that with its vivid description of a distinct microbiome associated with major depressive disorder, as well as the profile of molecules these organisms produce. The researchers were able to use this microbial “fingerprint” to distinguish between individuals with MDD and healthy controls, solely on the composition of a few microbes and compounds in their fecal matter. ..."

"... Here, using whole-genome shotgun metagenomic and untargeted metabolomic methods, we identified 3 bacteriophages, 47 bacterial species, and 50 fecal metabolites showing notable differences in abundance between MDD patients and healthy controls (HCs). ...
Furthermore, we identified a combinatorial marker panel that robustly discriminated MDD from HC individuals in both the discovery and validation sets."

Distinct Microbiome and Metabolites Linked with Depression | The Scientist Magazine® The gastrointestinal tracts of people with major depressive disorder harbor a signature composition of viruses, bacteria, and their metabolic products, according to the most comprehensive genomic and metabolomic analysis in depression to date.

Here is a link to the respective research paper:

Landscapes of bacterial and metabolic signatures and their interaction in major depressive disorders