The new frontier of microbiome-directed human health

The microbiome is ever more frequently spoken about of late, and so the pharmaphorum podcast invited Leo Grady, founder and CEO of Jona, to speak about at-home personal microbiome profiling, uncovering the relationship between human health and the gut.

An area of fascination for Grady for some time now, he notes, however, that microbiomic research wasn’t being applied in a clinical setting. It is, granted, a complex part of the body to study, but an exciting one, too, when it comes to potential. Indeed, with a gut-brain connection strongly implied in recent studies, there is evidence to suggest preventative possibilities for allergies and immune-system disorders, and many diseases, also.

It is artificial intelligence, though, that can unpack the complexities and reveal a way forward in terms of the new frontier of microbiome-directed human health, says Grady. After all, the entire GI tract has its own nervous system, also referred as the ‘second brain’, and is highly significant in serotonin and dopamine production.

Jona recognises the complexity of the microbiome and the prolific scientific literature on it, building a large language model (LLM) to read those studies, conducting genomic testing to produce a digital twin of the microbiome and suggest interventions that can be taken by a patient and their physician.

Microbiomic study can assist in cancer care, also, from early detection, to selection of the right treatment, and in post-treatment maintenance for recovery.

You can listen to episode 138a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series - in iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, and Podbean.