Researchers from the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and Massachusetts General Hospital have made a significant breakthrough in understanding the role of the gut microbiome on cardiovascular diseases.
Their study, published in the journal
Cell, reveals how certain gut bacteria, specifically the
Oscillibacter genus, manage to metabolize cholesterol, paving the way for microbiome-targeted interventions to lower human cholesterol levels.
Researchers discovered that certain gut bacteria can lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart diseases, a finding from the Framingham Heart study involving more than 1,400 participants. Their study, published in Cell, found that Oscillibacter bacteria metabolize cholesterol, potentially opening up avenues for microbiome-based interventions to lower cholesterol levels in humans.
Credit: Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard The research team utilized a combination of metagenomic sequencing and metabolomics to analyze stool samples from over 1,400 Framingham Heart study participants. They discovered that individuals harboring a significant amount of
Oscillibacter in their gut had lower-than-average cholesterol levels. This correlation suggests that these bacteria play an active role in breaking down cholesterol.
The researchers also explored the biochemical pathways these microbes use to decompose cholesterol. They identified the enzymes responsible for this transformation and discovered that cholesterol is converted into intermediate products that can then be further degraded by other bacteria and expelled from the body.
Moreover, another bacterial species,
Eubacterium coprostanoligenes, was identified as also contributing to lower cholesterol levels. This species carries a gene involved in cholesterol metabolism, indicating a potential synergistic effect with
Oscillibacter on cholesterol levels.
These findings underscore the importance of high-quality patient data and pave the way for future studies aimed at manipulating the microbiome to promote cardiovascular health. The discoveries could also lead to new therapeutic strategies, such as targeting specific microbes for the treatment of cholesterol-related disorders.