Jonathan Eisen: Meet your microbes

Summary

In this engaging talk, the speaker shares a personal journey of battling type 1 diabetes, revealing how an autoimmune response and microbial imbalances may have triggered the condition. They highlight the importance of the microbiome—our body's ecosystem of microbes—in shaping our health. With the help of DNA sequencing, scientists are uncovering the roles microbes play in immunity, metabolism, and disease. The speaker advocates for a greater understanding of the microbiome, emphasizing the need to respect and protect it from disruptions caused by overuse of antibiotics and excessive hygiene. Ultimately, they call for a comprehensive exploration of the microbial community that influences our well-being.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker shares a personal story of being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and the journey to recovery using modern medicine and insulin.
• 😀 Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease where the body attacks its own insulin-producing cells, and recent research suggests microbes may be involved in triggering it.
• 😀 Humans are covered in a diverse ecosystem of microbes, with more microbial cells on and in our bodies than human cells.
• 😀 DNA sequencing has revolutionized the way we study the human microbiome, revealing the complexity and diversity of microbes present in the body.
• 😀 Microbial diversity among individuals may contribute to differences in health and disease, including autoimmune diseases like type 1 diabetes.
• 😀 The microbial cloud in and on us plays a crucial role in immune system development, pathogen defense, metabolism, and possibly even behavior.
• 😀 Overuse of antibiotics and excessive cleanliness can disrupt the microbial balance, potentially leading to health issues like obesity and autoimmune diseases.
• 😀 Probiotics, while helpful in some cases, only represent a small fraction of the thousands of microbial species that humans carry, highlighting the need for more comprehensive restoration strategies.
• 😀 Fecal transplants have proven effective in treating certain infections, such as Clostridium difficile, by restoring a healthy microbial community.
• 😀 The microbial community should be viewed as a vital organ, and we should approach its disruption with caution, considering the long-term health consequences.
• 😀 Advances in DNA sequencing allow for in-depth studies of the microbiome, offering hope for understanding its role in diseases like Crohn's and in conditions impacted by antibiotic use.

Q & A

What triggered the speaker's diagnosis of type 1 diabetes?

The speaker's diagnosis of type 1 diabetes was triggered during a backpacking trip on Old Rag Mountain in West Virginia, where they experienced extreme thirst and weakness. This led to their hospitalization and diagnosis of type 1 diabetes in full-blown ketoacidosis.

What is the traditional medical understanding of what causes type 1 diabetes?

Traditionally, it was believed that type 1 diabetes was caused by an autoimmune response where the body's immune system fights off a pathogen, which then mistakenly destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.

What did the speaker later learn about the relationship between microbes and type 1 diabetes?

The speaker later learned that type 1 diabetes might not be caused by pathogens but rather by miscommunication with the microbes that live in and on the body. The imbalance in the microbial community may trigger the immune system to attack insulin-producing cells.

How do modern technologies help in understanding the microbial community?

Modern DNA sequencing technologies allow researchers to study the microbes that inhabit the human body. This method enables the identification of the thousands of microbial species and their genetic material, helping scientists understand their roles in health and disease.

What is the Human Microbiome Project, and what is its purpose?

The Human Microbiome Project is a research initiative in the United States that aims to map the microbes that live in and on the human body. Its goal is to understand how the microbial community influences human health, including immunity, metabolism, and disease.

What is the impact of antibiotics on the microbial community?

Excessive use of antibiotics, particularly in children, can disrupt the microbial community by killing both harmful and beneficial microbes. This disruption has been linked to various health issues, including obesity and autoimmune diseases.

What role do probiotics play in restoring the microbial community?

Probiotics, which are live microorganisms found in foods or supplements, can help restore a healthy microbial community in the body. They have shown effectiveness in certain cases, such as preventing necrotizing enterocolitis in premature infants.

What is 'poo tea,' and how does it relate to restoring the microbial community?

Poo tea is a traditional veterinary practice where tea is made from the feces of a healthy animal and used to treat illnesses in sick animals. The practice has inspired human fecal transplants, where microbes from a healthy donor's feces are used to restore a patient's microbial community.

What is a fecal transplant, and how is it used in medicine?

A fecal transplant involves transferring feces from a healthy donor to a patient to restore the balance of microbes in the patient's gut. This treatment has proven effective in curing persistent infections like Clostridium difficile, which are resistant to other treatments.

Why is it important to consider the microbial community as an organ?

The microbial community is crucial for human health and performs essential functions such as immune system development, pathogen defense, and metabolism. Viewing it as an organ emphasizes the need to treat it with care and avoid unnecessary disruption through antibiotics or excessive cleanliness.