New method for the analysis of intestinal bacteria

Prospects for personalized medicine in Crohn’s disease

Intestinal bacteria play a central role in human health and show significant changes in patients with chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) such as Crohn’s disease. The research team led by Prof. Dr. Hyun-Dong Chang from the German Rheumatism Research Center, a Leibniz Institute, and the Technical University of Berlin has developed an innovative technique in which intestinal bacteria from stool samples are analyzed to identify disease-specific signatures for Crohn’s disease using AI-supported methods and even predict the success of therapy. These results have now been published in the journal Gut Microbes.

The technique “multi-parameter microbiota flow cytometry” (mMFC) makes it possible to analyze surface characteristics of bacteria in detail at the single-cell level. In the current study, this method was used to compare antibody markings by the immune system and certain sugar structures on the cell surface of intestinal bacteria in healthy test subjects and patients with Crohn’s disease.

With the support of artificial intelligence, it was possible to identify disease-specific signatures that are directly associated with Crohn’s disease. In addition, the method showed potential to predict the success of therapy – for example, how well patients respond to treatment with TNF blockers.

These results mark a significant advance in the diagnosis and treatment of Crohn’s disease. The precise detection of disease-specific changes could make it possible to make more targeted treatment decisions in the future and significantly improve the prognosis of patients.

The study was funded by the Dr. Rolf M. Schwiete Foundation, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the German Research Foundation (DFG).