Gut Microbiome Composition Is Associated With Future Onset of Crohn's Disease in Healthy First-Degree Relatives

​A study published in the Gastroenterology journal by a Canadian research team documents that population and ratios of specific gut bacteria are uniquely different in those patients who develop Crohn’s disease as opposed to those who do not, and this gut bacteria differentiation can be identified years before Crohn’s Disease symptoms develop.
 
Dysbiosis involving five key bacteria contributed to subsequent Crohn’s Disease.  The five bacteria are:  “Ruminococcus torques, Blautia, Colidextribacter, an uncultured genus-level group from Oscillospiraceae, and Roseburia.”  (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37263307/)
 
The discovery constitutes two important advances.  First, it provides clinicians with the ability to identify the bacteria populations that make one prone to development of Crohn’s Disease based upon identification of bacteria in one’s microbiome.  Second, with the specific bacteria now identified, clinicians can intervene in advance of symptoms to increase the population of good gut bacteria and decrease the population of the bacteria that instigate Crohn’s Disease.
 
One of the study’s authors, Dr. Kenneth Croitoru, told Crohn’s and Colitis Canada that “These years of effort led us to recently discover that a specific combination of gut bacteria is connected to the future development of Crohn’s disease. We’re starting to see the pattern of bacteria that may be triggering Crohn’s disease, moving us closer to better treatments for those with the disease or even preventing it for those at risk. I’m hopeful that within five years, patients will benefit through evidence-based treatments focused on the gut bacteria or diet modification.”   (https://crohnsandcolitis.ca/News-Events/News-Releases/Canadian-medical-research-breakthrough-Gut-bacteri).