WikiBiomeThe human microbiome encyclopediaRanked matches across titles, topics, categories, and article introductions, filtered to mechanism.
Arachidonic acid (AA) is a 20-carbon omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (20:4n-6) that serves as the primary substrate for prostaglandin and leukotriene synthesis via COX-2 and 5-LOX pathways. It is the dominant pro-inflammatory lipid mediator — and its balance with ant…
Bile acids are cholesterol-derived amphipathic molecules synthesized in the liver, secreted into the duodenum, and extensively modified by gut bacteria. The host-microbe co-metabolism of bile acids creates a signaling network with profound effects on lipid metabolism, g…
The co-occurrence of multiple diseases in the same individual at rates exceeding chance. Comorbidity patterns are a central puzzle in medicine -- why do IBD patients develop CVD? Why does PCOS cluster with T2D? Why do neurodegenerative diseases associate with depression…
Perhaps the most pervasive metallomic finding across human disease: copper is elevated in nearly every pathological condition examined in this wiki -- cancer (pan-cancer), PCOS, cardiovascular disease, depression, schizophrenia, IBD, and rheumatoid arthritis. Simultaneo…
The transfer of processed stool from a healthy donor into a recipient's gastrointestinal tract to restore a disrupted microbial community. FMT is the most direct form of microbiome intervention -- replacing the entire community rather than supplementing individual strai…
The gut-penis axis is an emerging concept describing the systemic pathway by which gut microbiome dysbiosis impairs erectile function through endothelial nitric oxide (NO) suppression and chronic inflammation. Though less established than the gut-brain or gut-heart axes…
Interleukin-10 is the primary anti-inflammatory cytokine, produced by Treg cells, macrophages, dendritic cells, and B cells. It suppresses pro-inflammatory cytokine production (IL-6, TNF-alpha, IL-1β), inhibits antigen presentation, and maintains immune tolerance. IL-10…
Interleukin-17 (primarily IL-17A and IL-17F) is the signature cytokine of Th17 cells. At physiological levels, IL-17 maintains mucosal barrier defense by recruiting neutrophils and inducing antimicrobial peptide production. At pathological levels (Th17/Treg imbalance), …
Interleukin-6 is a pleiotropic cytokine that sits at the crossroads of innate immunity, adaptive immunity, and metabolism. It is one of the most frequently elevated inflammatory mediators across conditions in this wiki — appearing in disease signatures spanning IBD, aut…
The fungal component of the human microbiome, comprising ~0.1-1% of the total gut microbial community by abundance but disproportionately active in immune signaling and cross-kingdom interactions. While bacterial communities dominate microbiome research, emerging eviden…
Shotgun metagenomics is a sequencing approach that fragments and sequences all DNA in a sample -- bacterial, archaeal, fungal, viral, and host -- without prior amplification of a specific gene target. Unlike 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, which identifies "who is there" …
Virulence factors are the molecular tools that enable a microorganism to colonize, invade, evade immune defenses, and cause damage to the host. They include toxins, adhesins, invasins, immune evasion molecules, and metabolic enzymes that provide competitive advantages i…
Vitamin D (calciferol; active form: calcitriol/1,25(OH)₂D₃) is a secosteroid hormone with profound immunomodulatory effects. The vitamin D receptor (VDR) is expressed on virtually all immune cells, and vitamin D deficiency is epidemiologically linked to autoimmune disea…