Bacteriotherapy to treat non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the UK. Over 60% of UK adults are either obese or overweight, and one in three has liver steatosis, an accumulation of fat in the liver considered to be an early stage of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

NAFLD associates with profound changes in the gut microbiome and promoting intestinal permeability that allows the leak of bacteria products from the intestine to the liver where they contribute to inflammation and disease progression.

There are currently no licenced drugs to treat NAFLD, so the need to find new therapeutics is urgent. Based on its contribution to disease progression, modulation of the microbiome as a therapeutic approach for treating NAFLD shows great promise.