IBD Journal Scan
Key articles from high impact journals in last month
Editorial Recommendations
NOV-2025
As the World celebrated the "One Health Day" last month, it is a reminder that the environment inside us and outside of us together play a role in governing the health of a living being. This month we focus on some of the articles published in the field of microbiome and IBD. These approaches coupled with the power of Artificial intelligence support precision medicine by identifying therapeutic targets and achieving high diagnostic accuracy across conditions.
Westernization Drives Gut Microbiome Shifts Among Indian Immigrants
The rising immigration of Indians to Western countries has been linked to increased risk of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), yet the gut microbiome in this population remains poorly understood. This cross-sectional study compared gut microbiomes of Indians in India, Indo-Immigrants, and Indo-Canadians with Euro-Canadian and Euro-Immigrant controls. Using 16S rRNA and shotgun sequencing of stool samples, along with dietary and demographic assessments, the study revealed distinct microbial profiles among groups. Indians and Indo-Immigrants showed higher Prevotella abundance and carbohydrate-active enzymes, reflecting traditional, fiber-rich diets. In contrast, Indo-Canadians exhibited a transitional microbiome, aligning with Western dietary patterns. These findings suggest that westernization progressively alters gut microbial composition, potentially influencing disease susceptibility. With nearly half of Canadians being first- or secondgeneration immigrants, understanding how migration and lifestyle acculturation reshape the microbiome is essential for predicting long-term health outcomes in immigrant and rapidly industrializing populations.
Decoding the Host–Microbiota Interactome in Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Research on the gut microbiota has greatly expanded our understanding of its role in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), yet the precise mechanisms of host–microbe interaction remain unclear due to the intestinal ecosystem’s complexity. This review introduces the concept of the interactome—an integrated framework that connects microbial composition, functionality, genomic structure, transcriptional activity, and metabolic outputs to IBD pathogenesis. It provides an updated overview of emerging insights into intestinal dysbiosis, along with high-throughput multi-omics technologies and cohort-based approaches that enable a systems-level understanding of these interactions. Computational tools that integrate diverse omics layers are also discussed, emphasizing their role in identifying key pathways and biomarkers involved in IBD. The review concludes by highlighting current challenges in data integration and proposes strategies to bridge molecular findings with clinical relevance, paving the way for precision medicine approaches targeting host– microbiota cross-talk in IBD.
Ileocecal Resection Restores Gut Microbial Balance in Crohn’s Disease
Crohn’s disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory condition affecting any part of the gastrointestinal tract, with the ileocecal region often being the initial site of involvement. This study explored the microbial and metabolic impacts of ileocecal resection in early CD to better understand its therapeutic value. Using 16S rRNA sequencing and LC-MS/MS, researchers analyzed 68 samples of terminal ileal mucosa and mesentery from 34 CD patients before and after surgery. Results demonstrated improved microbial diversity and metabolic health in both tissues post-resection, alongside distinct spatial changes in microbial and metabolite profiles. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis further revealed key metabolic shifts associated with remission. These findings highlight ileocecal resection as an effective intervention that not only reduces inflammation but also restores microbial homeostasis, providing multi-omics evidence for its role in guiding precision, microbiome-informed treatment strategies for Crohn’s disease.
Mesenteric Adipose Tissue and Creeping Fat: Emerging Targets in Crohn’s Disease Management
Crohn’s disease (CD) has been closely associated with alterations in mesenteric adipose tissue (MAT) and the development of “creeping fat” (CrF), both of which may contribute to disease recurrence after surgery. Studies show that including the mesentery in ileocolic resection reduces surgical recurrence, underscoring MAT’s role in CD pathogenesis. This commentary discusses research by Wu et al., where fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from healthy donors improved CD symptoms in mouse models, while FMT from CD patients worsened inflammation. The study demonstrated that gut microbiota influenced intestinal permeability, barrier integrity, and the production of proinflammatory mediators and adipokines, suggesting a strong link between microbial dysbiosis and MAT dysfunction. Although donor microbiota composition was not analyzed, findings highlight the potential of targeting MAT and CrF as novel therapeutic strategies. Understanding the gut–fat axis may open new avenues for microbiome-based interventions in Crohn’s disease.
Lachnospiraceae-Dominated Microbial Networks Linked to Remission in Ulcerative Colitis
Microbiome-directed therapies for ulcerative colitis (UC) show promise, yet identifying consistent microbial targets remains a challenge. Using metagenomic data from the SPARC IBD study through the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation’s IBD Plexus Program, researchers employed a tree-based clustering method to identify species-level bacterial co-abundance groups (CAGs) in patients with UC. Analysis of remission (n = 166) and active disease (n = 46) samples revealed that CAG3 and CAG8—both enriched in Lachnospiraceae species—were strongly associated with remission. Conversely, reduced CAG8 abundance and higher Candida levels predicted active UC. Hub species within CAG8, including Ruminococcus gnavus, Blautia, Dorea, and Erysipelatoclostridium ramosum, were conserved across healthy and Korean UC cohorts and correlated with secondary bile acid pathways. While Candida showed no direct correlation with bacterial CAGs, Bifidobacterium adolescentis and Alistipes putredinis were negatively associated. These findings highlight Lachnospiraceae-driven microbial networks as potential targets for future microbiome-based UC therapies.
Unveiling the Oral–Gut Connection: The Oral Microbiome’s Role in Inflammatory Bowel Disease
The oral microbiome, the body’s second largest microbial ecosystem after the gut, comprises bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other microorganisms that influence both oral and systemic health. While traditionally linked to dental caries and gum disease, growing evidence reveals its broader impact on gastrointestinal (GI) and non-GI disorders. Dysbiosis within the oral microbiome can trigger inflammatory cascades through cytokine activation, toll-like receptor signaling, and oxidative stress, and may even enable translocation of pathogens or their metabolites to distant organs. Recent studies associate oral microbial imbalance with Barrett’s esophagus, metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease, GI cancers, and particularly, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This report reviews emerging research connecting oral dysbiosis to IBD pathogenesis and emphasizes integrating oral health into comprehensive IBD management. Understanding the oral–gut axis may pave the way for novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies aimed at restoring microbial balance and improving patient outcomes.