Blogs

On the first day of the SOT 61st Annual Meeting and ToxExpo, someone very wisely told me that “You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be until you decide otherwise.” And while most of the researchers presenting in “The Microbiome in Toxicity and Disease: A Yin and Yang Duality for the Host throughout the Life Span” Symposium were building on several years of research, there was certainly a pervasive theme around the need for the integration of new technologies and evolution of their existing passions. It was clear from the discussion surrounding the influence of the microbiome in toxicology and the study of human disease that the relationship between the native microbiota and toxicant exposure was changing the way Drs. Vicki Sutherland, Kjersti Aagaard, Jodi Flaws, Clint Allred, Jack Gilbert, and Lita Proctor thought about their research goals.

Following a comprehensive overview of the role of the microbiome in human health and clinical outcomes by Dr. Sutherland, Dr. Aagaard reflected on the importance of the vaginal microbiome in maternal health and fetal colonization pre- and postpartum. A key feature of her work highlighted the importance of longitudinal study and collection of samples over time and from different microbial communities, a paradigm that became a theme throughout the Symposium and for which Dr. Gilbert showed supporting data stating that the collection of 20 consecutive samples was needed for the reduction of variability and to draw conclusions regarding dynamic microbial populations.

It also was clear that there is a need for platforms that improve data transparency and transferability across the toxicological and medical communities. Dr. Gilbert walked the audience through several benefits of a healthy microbiome that can improve insomnia and depression associated with anxiety. To this end, he and his team are working to transition a microbiome supplement into clinical trials that could theoretically introduce beneficial bacteria back into the gut and improve the clinical outcomes for surgery and disease treatment with poorer prognoses correlated with depression. Furthermore, Dr. Proctor is working to promote technologies associated with these technological strides in human diagnosis and treatment and highlighted two platforms built to facilitate data sharing, including hmpdacc.org and microbiomedata.org.

While there were several coexisting themes throughout this Symposium, the importance of understanding the role of the microbiome in driving adverse outcomes took center stage. And while scientists can choose to perform new experiments in-house, form new collaborative teams, or ask novel questions by using repositories of existing data, this Symposium highlights that toxicologists have an opportunity to further understand the drivers of adverse outcomes associated with acute and chronic toxicant exposure in humans and better inform clinical approaches moving forward.

This blog was prepared by an SOT Reporter and represents the views of the author. SOT Reporters are SOT members who volunteer to write about sessions and events in which they participate during the SOT Annual Meeting and ToxExpo. SOT does not propose or endorse any position by posting this article. If you are interested in participating in the SOT Reporter program in the future, please email Giuliana Macaluso.

On-demand recordings of all Featured and Scientific Sessions delivered during the 2022 SOT Annual Meeting and ToxExpo will be available to meeting registrants in the SOT Event App and Online Planner after their conclusion, through July 31, 2022.