Microbiome and Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Narrative Review

Bwambale Isaac

Biomedical Department Kampala International University Uganda

Email: isaac.bwambale@studwc.kiu.ac.ug

ABSTRACT

The intestinal microbiome plays a central role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Dysbiosis, characterized by reduced microbial diversity, expansion of pro-inflammatory taxa, and depletion of protective commensals such as Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, is a hallmark of IBD and contributes to chronic intestinal inflammation. Altered microbiota composition influences immune regulation, barrier function, and metabolic activity, perpetuating the cycle of inflammation and mucosal injury. Environmental factors, including diet, antibiotics, and lifestyle, further modulate microbial ecosystems, shaping disease onset and progression. Therapeutic strategies to restore microbial balance, such as dietary interventions, probiotics, prebiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), show promise as adjuncts to conventional pharmacological treatments. Advances in metagenomics, metabolomics, and multi-omics integration are driving personalized approaches to IBD care, yet challenges remain in standardization, reproducibility, and ethical considerations. This review summarizes current evidence on microbiome alterations in IBD, underlying mechanisms, therapeutic strategies, and the potential for microbiome-targeted precision medicine.

Keywords: Inflammatory bowel disease, Gut microbiome, Dysbiosis, Probiotics and FMT, and Precision medicine.

CITE AS: Bwambale Isaac (2025). Microbiome and Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Narrative Review. IDOSR JOURNAL OF APPLIED SCIENCES 10(3):62-71. https://doi.org/10.59298/IDOSRJAS/2025/103.6271