Cycle of seminars with the aim to highlight main factors influencing the interaction between gut microbiota and its host in colorectal disease pathogenesis, prevention and cure, with special emphasis on surgical implications.

– The role of gut microbiota in colorectal cancer, 07/30/2020, h 2.00 p.m.
– The role of gut microbiota in inflammatory bowel disease, 09/18/2020 h 2:00 p.m.

Gut microbiota is a complex ecosystem made up of a rich community of commensal microorganisms constituting, together with their genes, the gut microbiome. In healthy conditions, gut microbiome interacts with the host in plenty of physiological processes. However, an imbalanced microbiota composition in favour of opportunistic pathogens can corrupt mucosal homeostasis and intestinal barrier functions, impairing epithelial cells and promoting immune system activation and chronic inflammation, which has been associated with a variety of gastrointestinal disorders, including inflammatory bowel disease, and colorectal cancer.

Given the potential relationships of gut microbiota with the origin and development of major colorectal diseases, microbial biomarkers have recently emerged as promising diagnostic and prognostic tools. Furthermore, there is an increasing interest in exploring microbiome-related therapies to prevent and treat such widespread and globally raising pathologies.
So far, strategies under development include fecal microbiota-transplantation, use of antibiotics specifically designed against target pathogens, use of pre-/probiotics, phage therapy and undoubtedly diet, proposed as one of the most influential factors shaping the human gut microbiome, with effect on immune response and metabolic pathways.

Dr. Elisa Francone
Assistant Professor of Surgery, DISS
Università del Piemonte Orientale
Staff Surgeon, Clinica Chirurgica
AOU Maggiore della Carità, Novara

The seminar will be held via GOOGLE MEET platform.
https://meet.google.com/erj-khhgjhc?hs=122&authuser=0

Credit: Darryl Leja, NHGRI