Yolanda Sanz, researcher at the Microbial Ecology, Nutrition and Health Department of the Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA), participated in the 16th edition of the conference programme entitled: "The intestinal microbiome: a vital organ for our health".
The event took place last Monday, May 6 at the Ámbito Cultural de El Corte Inglés in Malaga.
The set of microorganisms that inhabit our intestine (microbiota) act as interlocutors between the environment and the biological systems that make up our organism. On the one hand, they modulate the impact of environmental factors, such as diet and medicines, on our health by participating in their metabolism and modifying their physiological effects. On the other hand, they interact with the human organism by regulating the functions of various organs and systems through immunological, endocrine and neural pathways.
As a consequence, the collective genome of these microorganisms is considered our "second genome" and the intestinal microbiota a true "organ", which influences various aspects of health. These include resistance or risk to certain pathologies, their prognosis and the efficacy of therapies. In addition, it is a possible preventive and therapeutic target because, unlike our genome, the microbiome can be favorably manipulated, for example, through the diet. Unraveling how these microbial communities act and who are the key players in maintaining optimal health, both physical and mental, are key to the development of strategies aimed at predicting and preventing microbiome-based diseases.