2025 has been a productive year in gut microbiome research, spanning metabolic health, neurogastroenterology, immune modulation, and precision nutrition. In this ‘Year in Review’ article, the GMFH editing team describes their pick of the top GMFH-covered advances in 2025, outlining their impact in the clinical setting and implications for current and future research.
From colonic food to systems biology: the 30th anniversary of the prebiotic concept
17 Dec 2025by Mónica Quinzo
The definition of a prebiotic has evolved from a focus on colonic fiber to a complex ecological strategy. This article traces the concept's 30-year journey, highlighting the shift from non-digestible carbohydrates to the latest expert recommendations.
Imidazole propionate: a novel driver of atherosclerosis and biomarker of subclinical disease
4 Dec 2025by Andreu Prados
Cardiovascular diseases remain one of the most pressing public health concerns, demanding innovative research to identify novel causes. A recent Nature study reported that imidazole propionate made by gut bacteria contributes to atherosclerosis development, supporting its potential role as a biomarker of subclinical disease.
Fecal microbiota transplantation unable to induce remission at 8 weeks in adults with Crohn’s disease
17 Nov 2025by Karen Madsen
Previous clinical studies have shown a promising role of fecal microbiota transplantation to induce remission in ulcerative colitis and maintain steroid-induced Crohn’s disease remission. A new double-blind, placebo-controlled trial found fecal microbiota transplantation is not effective at inducing clinical or endoscopic remission in adults with Crohn’s disease.
The 6th biennial meeting of the European Society of Neurogastroenterology and Motility, held at Queen Mary University of London, UK, from 4-6 September 2025, covered basic, translational, and clinical research in neurogastroenterology, including dietary therapies and ‘biotics’ for the management of gastrointestinal disorders. Find out more about the main takeaways from the conference.
Patients’ expectations and beliefs in IBS: Why gluten and wheat might not be the culprit
30 Sep 2025by Andreu Prados
Many patients with IBS find that wheat or gluten triggers gastrointestinal symptoms, prompting them to exclude these foods from their diets. A new study highlights how patients’ expectations and beliefs shape symptom modulation and dietary choices in IBS.
Digestive Disease Week 2025 featured recent basic, translational, and clinical research into the microbiome. Find out more about the main takeaways relevant for your clinical practice selected by GMFH editors.
Precision therapy in Crohn’s disease: Why the microbiome should be part of the equation
25 Aug 2025by Konstantina Zafeiropoulou
Crohn’s disease is an immune-mediated disease without a cure. While current guideline-based therapies are immune-directed therapies (small molecules and biologics), recent advances in understanding how the gut microbiome changes precede and drive disease offer potential for developing personalized therapeutics.
After two decades of scientific exploration, the human microbiome has emerged as a critical determinant of health and disease. Fueled by multi-omics technologies and machine learning, the field has advanced from correlation-based observations to establishing causal relationships. This article presents recent and compelling examples of microbiome-based treatments that are ripe for clinical adoption and discusses challenges and opportunities facing the field based on expert interviews conducted by the GMFH team.
New findings in mice reveal a key role of intestinal dendritic cells in normalizing behavior after initial microbial colonization
26 Jun 2025by Premysl Bercik
While the gut microbiome differs between patients with IBS and healthy controls, the precise mechanisms underlying the initial phase of microbial-host interactions are not fully understood. New findings in mice identify a critical role of intestinal dendritic cells’ activation and migration in impacting brain neuroplasticity.
