Curr Gastroenterol Rep. 2022 Oct;24(10):115-126.doi: 10.1007/s11894-022-00847-4. Epub 2022 Aug 9.

Wenjie Ma ^1 2, David A Drew ^1 2, Kyle Staller ^3 4

Author information

¹Clinical and Translational Epidemiology Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.

²Division of Gastroenterology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit Street, 02114-2696, Boston, MA, United States.

³Clinical and Translational Epidemiology Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States. kstaller@mgh.harvard.edu.

⁴Division of Gastroenterology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit Street, 02114-2696, Boston, MA, United States. kstaller@mgh.harvard.edu.

Abstract

Purpose of review: Colonic motility disorders may be influenced by the gut microbiota, which plays a role in modulating sensory and motor function. However, existing data are inconsistent, possibly due to complex disease pathophysiology, fluctuation in symptoms, and difficulty characterizing high-resolution taxonomic composition and function of the gut microbiome.

Recent findings: Increasingly, human studies have reported associations between gut microbiome features and colonic motility disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome and constipation. Several microbial metabolites have been identified as regulators of colonic motility in animal models. Modulation of the gut microbiota via dietary intervention, probiotics, and fecal microbiota transplant is a promising avenue for treatment for these diseases. An integration of longitudinal multi-omics data will facilitate further understanding of the causal effects of dysbiosis on disease. Further understanding of the microbiome-driven mechanisms underlying colonic motility disorders may be leveraged to develop personalized, microbiota-based approaches for disease prevention and treatment.