BioCentury
ARTICLE | Translation in Brief

The gut of heart disease

Treating atherosclerosis by drugging the human microbiome

February 11, 2016 8:00 AM UTC

Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic have shown that a compound found in red wine, olive oil and other food products could help treat atherosclerosis by inhibiting an early step in the biosynthesis of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), a metabolite produced by the activity of gut microbes.

The findings are the first example of targeting the microbiome directly to treat cardiovascular disease, although several groups have run clinical trials to prevent atherosclerosis secondary to exposure to Chlamydia pneumoniae...