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The new study will test at-home gut microbiome monitoring technology from microbiome biotech company BiomeSense in collaboration with probiotics developer Pendulum Therapeutics.
While the study is small, BiomeSense's GutLab technology will enable regular monitoring of participants' gut microbiomes in their own homes, which, if successful on a larger scale, could enable precision medicine approaches to microbiome monitoring and treatment in the future.
The study will specifically look at levels of Akkermansia muciniphila, a species of bacteria thought to play an important role in gut health: People with lower than normal levels of this bacteria in their gut have higher than average rates of obesity, diabetes, inflammation and higher intestinal permeability, which can lead to other health problems.
Pendulum is producing a dietary supplement with A. muciniphila based on the findings of these previous studies. “Akkermansia bacteria are often referred to as keystone strains because they play such an important role in maintaining our health and longevity,” Adam Pearlman, chief medical officer at Pendulum Therapeutics and one of the co-principal investigators on the study, explained in a press statement.
“The ability to measure levels of Akkermansia in the human body over time marks a whole new revolution in how we conduct microbiome studies and understand the impact of products like ours,” Pearlman added.
BiomeSense is a microbiome startup that spun out of the University of Chicago in 2018. The company seeks to answer one of the common criticisms of gut microbiome research by developing technology that allows study participants to easily and regularly measure the composition of their gut microbiome and collect large, longitudinal datasets.
The GutLab is a fairly small, portable device designed to be automated and easy to use, allowing study participants to simply add their samples to the machine in their own bathroom at home. Combined with the company's AI-powered MetaBiome analysis platform, it enables accurate data collection.
“Being able to measure levels of Akkermansia in the human body over time marks a whole new revolution in how we conduct microbiome studies and understand the impact of products like ours,” Pearlman said.
The current study will measure levels of Akkermansia bacteria in 10 subjects and a control group of five over a 14-week period. As part of the study, some subjects will take Pendulum's Akkermansia supplement in two different doses. The study is expected to finish by the end of the year.
“The high-density, longitudinal data collection provided by GutLab and MetaBiome provides unprecedented insight into the dynamic nature of the gut microbiome. This data quality and frequency of change are essential to deepen our understanding of microbiome-associated health and disease,” said Jack Gilbert, co-founder of BiomeSense and Professor, Vice Chancellor and Director of the Center for Microbiome and Metagenomics at UC San Diego.
