Gut Microbiota–Derived Metabolites as Potential Therapeutics in Mitochondrial Dysfunction-Driven Intestinal Inflammatory Diseases

Inflammatory bowel diseases are a group of chronic diseases with increasing global incidence and rising morbidity and mortality, contributing to a significant health burden. Mainstream treatments for IBD are focused on controlling inflammation and alleviating the symptoms, also aiming for intestinal barrier repair. Understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying intestinal inflammatory disorders is the key to developing more targeted therapies to treat IBD. The growth, differentiation, and proliferation of intestinal epithelial cells require energy. Since mitochondria provide the energy also required for intestinal epithelial cells to maintain homeostasis and barrier integrity, their dysfunction can lead to cell death and inflammation. While several studies have confirmed the link between gut microbial metabolites and mitochondrial function, conflicting results from studies in IBD models have presented challenges to a detailed understanding of this area. This review focuses on presenting data from existing literature and highlighting the therapeutic potential of gut microbiota–derived metabolites in restoring mitochondrial function, which may likely develop into therapeutic interventions in IBD.

Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01473524, NCT03724175