Natural products as mediators of disease

Nat Prod Rep. 2017 Feb 1;34(2):194-219. doi: 10.1039/c6np00063k. Epub 2016 Nov 22.

Abstract

Covering: up to 2016Humans are walking microbial ecosystems, each harboring a complex microbiome with the genetic potential to produce a vast array of natural products. Recent sequencing data suggest that our microbial inhabitants are critical for maintaining overall health. Shifts in microbial communities have been correlated to a number of diseases including infections, inflammation, cancer, and neurological disorders. Some of these clinically and diagnostically relevant phenotypes are a result of the presence of small molecules, yet we know remarkably little about their contributions to the health of individuals. Here, we review microbe-derived natural products as mediators of human disease.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Biological Products / chemistry
  • Biological Products / pharmacology*
  • Humans
  • Microbiota
  • Molecular Structure

Substances

  • Biological Products