Liu Y, Chang J, Bai LD. Intestinal flora: New perspective of type 2 diabetes. World J Clin Cases 2024; 12(11): 1996-1999 [PMID: 38660554 DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v12.i11.1996]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Jun Chang, MD, PhD, Researcher, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 88 Changling Road, Xiqing District, Tianjin 300381, China. cj2020_91@163.com
Research Domain of This Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Article-Type of This Article
Letter to the Editor
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Clin Cases. Apr 16, 2024; 12(11): 1996-1999 Published online Apr 16, 2024. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v12.i11.1996
Intestinal flora: New perspective of type 2 diabetes
Yan Liu, Jun Chang, Li-Ding Bai
Yan Liu, Department of Gastroenterology, Hospital of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Tianjin, Tianjin 300100, China
Jun Chang, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 300381, China
Li-Ding Bai, Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 300193, China
Author contributions: Liu Y drafted the manuscript; Bai LD edited and revised the manuscript; Chang J revised the letter and approved the final version of the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors have no conflict-of-interests.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Jun Chang, MD, PhD, Researcher, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 88 Changling Road, Xiqing District, Tianjin 300381, China. cj2020_91@163.com
Received: November 23, 2023 Peer-review started: November 23, 2023 First decision: February 6, 2024 Revised: February 19, 2024 Accepted: March 28, 2024 Article in press: March 28, 2024 Published online: April 16, 2024 Processing time: 139 Days and 16.4 Hours
Abstract
Diabetes comprises a group of metabolic diseases characterized by hyperglycemia stemming from various factors. Current diabetes management primarily focuses on blood glucose control, yet it is inherently progressive, necessitating increased reliance on exogenous blood glucose control methods over time. Therefore, there is an urgent need to explore novel intervention strategies addressing both diabetes and its complications. The human intestinal microbiota, often referred to as the "second genome", exhibits significant diversity and plays a pivotal role in insulin resistance, glucose and lipid metabolism, and inflammatory response. Notably, Li and Guo have elucidated the involvement of intestinal flora in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and proposed a novel therapeutic approach targeting intestinal microbes. This advancement enhances our comprehension of the multifaceted and multi-target regulation of T2DM by intestinal microflora, thereby offering fresh avenues for understanding its pathogenesis and clinical management. This letter briefly summarizes the role of intestinal flora in T2DM based on findings from animal experiments and clinical studies. Additionally, it discusses the potential clinical applications and challenges associated with targeting intestinal flora as therapeutic interventions.
Core Tip: With the global prevalence of diabetes continuing to rise, China faces a particularly high burden, with diabetes and its complications affecting up to 10% of the population. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) constitutes over 90% of these cases. While insulin remains the primary treatment for T2DM, its efficacy is limited in addressing the chronic, progressive, low-grade inflammatory, and the simple reduction of exogenous blood glucose can no longer meet the control of diabetes and its complications, nature of the disease. Consequently, there is an urgent need to identify safe and effective new therapeutic avenues. This letter corroborates the significance of intestinal flora in T2DM, as asserted by Li and Guo. It briefly outlines the role of intestinal flora in T2DM through insights from both animal experiments and clinical studies. Additionally, it discusses the potential clinical applications and challenges associated with targeting intestinal flora as therapeutic targets.
