Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34552222›Full record

ReviewNature chemical biology2021

Chains of evidence from correlations to causal molecules in microbiome-linked diseases.

Snehal N Chaudhari, Megan D McCurry, A Sloan Devlin

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Nature chemical biology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 42 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
42citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

42 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Opposite regulatory effects ofFrontiers in neurology · 2026
    Article
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. Review
  8. Article
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  10. Science signaling · 2025
    Article
  11. Review
  12. Article
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  20. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Snehal N ChaudhariDepartment of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. snehal_chaudhari@hms.harvard.edu.
Megan D McCurryDepartment of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3231-8876
A Sloan DevlinDepartment of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. sloan_devlin@hms.harvard.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5598-3751

Funding

Metaboregulatory microbial pathways shifted after bariatric surgeryR01DK126855 · NIDDK · BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL · PI Eric Garland Sheu · 2021 to 2026
$4.2M
Human microbiome metabolites in health and diseaseR35GM128618 · NIGMS · HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL · PI Abigail Sloan Devlin · 2018 to 2026
$4.1M
NIDDK NIH HHS R01 DK126855NIGMS NIH HHS R35 GM128618
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Human-associated microorganisms play a vital role in human health, and microbial imbalance has been linked to a wide range of disease states. In this Review, we explore recent efforts to progress from correlative studies that identify microorganisms associated with human disease to experiments that establish causal relationships between microbial products and host phenotypes. We propose that successful efforts to uncover phenotypes often follow a chain of evidence that proceeds from (1) association studies; to (2) observations in germ-free animals and antibiotic-treated animals and humans; to (3) fecal microbiota transplants (FMTs); to (4) identification of strains; and then (5) molecules that elicit a phenotype. Using this experimental 'funnel' as our guide, we explore how the microbiota contributes to metabolic disorders and hypertension, infections, and neurological conditions. We discuss the potential to use FMTs and microbiota-inspired therapies to treat human disease as well as the limitations of these approaches.

Indexed as

AnimalsAnti-Infective AgentsCommunicable DiseasesFecal Microbiota TransplantationGerm-Free LifeHost Microbial InteractionsHumansMicrobiotaAnti-Infective Agents

Identifiers

PMID34552222
PMCPMC8480537

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.