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MICROBIOME RESEARCH

Microbial signatures in metabolic tissues: a novel paradigm for obesity and diabetes?

Nature Metabolism volume 2, pages 211–212 (2020)Cite this article

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By analysing microbial profiles in three adipose tissue depots and the liver and plasma of morbidly obese individuals, a new study uncovers a unique organ-specific microbial signature, or potential internal ‘tissue microbiota’, in obese people with diabetes.

Visceral fat accumulation is considered one of the most important risk factors for the development of type 2 diabetes. Although the molecular mechanisms linking visceral fat accretion to impaired glucose metabolism are not yet fully elucidated, one commonly accepted trigger is chronic low-grade inflammation in the visceral fat and metabolic organs, such as the liver and muscles, in people with diabetes and obesity1.

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Fig. 1: Bacterial compartmentalization in obese and diabetic individuals.

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Acknowledgements

P.D.C. is a senior research associate at Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique (FRS-FNRS), Belgium. He is supported by the Fonds Baillet Latour (Grant for Medical Research 2015), the Fondsde la Recherche Scientifique (FNRS, FRFS-WELBIO: WELBIO-CR-2019C-02R and EOS program no. 30770923).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. UCLouvain, Université catholique de Louvain, Walloon Excellence in Life Sciences and Biotechnology (WELBIO), Louvain Drug Research Institute, Metabolism and Nutrition Research Group, Brussels, Belgium

    Patrice D. Cani & Matthias Van Hul

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  1. Patrice D. Cani
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  2. Matthias Van Hul
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Correspondence to Patrice D. Cani.

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Competing interests

P.D.C. is an inventor in patent applications related to the use of Akkermansia muciniphila and its components in the context of obesity and related disorders. P.D.C. is also a co-founder of A-Mansia Biotech SA. M.V.H. declares no conflicts of interest.

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Cani, P.D., Van Hul, M. Microbial signatures in metabolic tissues: a novel paradigm for obesity and diabetes?. Nat Metab 2, 211–212 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-020-0182-0

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