or approximately every human cell in our bodies, there is a tiny microorganism living inside us. On our skin, in our lungs, mouth, gut and more. Collectively, these microscopic bacteria, viruses and fungi are called the microbiome. These organisms sometimes merely coexist, sometimes harm their human hosts, and sometimes provide benefits.
The community of bacteria that live in the gastrointestinal tract—the gut microbiome—is generally harmless, but, because these bacteria affect the activity of the body’s immune system, they can influence a wide range of diseases, even in distant organs like the brain.Recently these microorganisms have become closely associated with diseases like cancer, diabetes and Parkinson’s. In a study published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine earlier this year, microbiologist Hemraj Dodiya of the University of Chicago and colleagues sought to determine whether bacteria in the gut could influence the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
