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Review
Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026.
World J Diabetes. Mar 15, 2026; 17(3): 113843
Published online Mar 15, 2026. doi: 10.4239/wjd.v17.i3.113843
Table 2 Potential therapeutic interventions and their reported efficacy[203-211]
No.
Intervention
Putative mechanism
Reported efficacy (diabetes/cardiometabolic)
Evidence level
Key notes/source
Ref.
1FMTReplaces dysbiotic gut community with a healthier donor community improves barrier function, metabolismSome small trials and pilot studies report improved insulin sensitivity and metabolic markers; results are heterogeneous and short-termEarly clinical/pilot RCTs; heterogeneousPromising but inconsistent; safety, donor selection, and durability remain concerns. Reviews in the set recommend FMT as a research tool rather than routine therapyWu et al[203]
2Probiotics/single-strain (e.g., Blautia spp.)Restore beneficial taxa, increase SCFA production, improve gut barrier and metabolic signallingSpecific strains (preclinical and some human data) linked to improved glucose/weight outcomes; Blautia wexlerae showed benefit in obesity/T2D models and human-associated data cited in your reprintsPreclinical + small clinical/translational evidenceStrain-specific effects; some encouraging translational evidence in the uploaded reprint (Blautia example). Larger RCTs neededKocsis et al[204]
3Prebiotics/dietary fibre/dietary patterns (e.g., Mediterranean diet)Enrich SCFA-producing bacteria, strengthen barrier, reduce endotoxemiaMediterranean-style diets linked to favorable microbiome-mediated cardiometabolic risk reduction and improved metabolic markersObservational + controlled dietary interventionsDiet is low-risk, widely recommended; effects likely mediated by microbiome changes per reviews in your filesSalas-Salvadó et al[205]
4Synbiotics (prebiotic + probiotic)Synergistic restoration of beneficial microbes and their substratesSmall trials show modest improvements in insulin sensitivity, lipids, and inflammation in some cohortsSmall RCTs/pilot studiesEffects variable; likely dependent on component selection and baseline microbiota. (Supported by intervention-review discussion)Zhang et al[206]
5Antibiotics/targeted antimicrobialsReduce/pathogen-deplete specific taxa driving dysbiosis; transiently alter metabolite production (e.g., TMA producers)Short-term metabolic changes reported; long-term benefits unclear and potential harms (resistance, loss of beneficial taxa)Mostly short-term clinical/observationalNot recommended broadly; may be useful experimentally to probe causal roles. Reviews warn about unintended consequencesMikkelsen et al[207]
6TLR antagonists/innate-immune modulators (e.g., TLR4/TLR9 inhibitors)Block host sensing of microbial PAMPs (LPS, bacterial DNA) to reduce inflammation and insulin resistancePreclinical models show reduced metabolic inflammation and improved insulin sensitivity; limited human dataPreclinical/early-phaseTLR4/TLR9 implicated in sensing circulating microbial products in your reprints; clinical development is early and safety must be establishedYehualashet[208]
7TMA/TMAO pathway inhibitors (microbial enzyme inhibitors or host FMO inhibitors)Reduce production or hepatic conversion of TMA lower plasma TMAO, a pro-atherogenic metabolitePreclinical and small translational studies show reduced TMAO and atherogenic readouts; clinical outcome data lackingPreclinical/early translationalConsidered a promising target for cardiometabolic risk reduction; reviewed as an emerging therapeutic approach in your filesJaworska et al[209]
8SCFA/butyrate supplementation or butyrate-promoting strategiesRestore epithelial energy, tighten barrier, modulate GLP-1 and immune responsesPreclinical and small human studies indicate improved insulin sensitivity and gut integrity; direct supplementation trials limitedPreclinical + small human studiesBenefits likely when produced endogenously by fiber fermentation; direct supplementation faces formulation/tolerability issuesArora and Tremaroli[210]
9Microbiome-derived metabolite modulation (e.g., bile acid modulators, indoxyl sulfate lowering)Alter signalling metabolites that influence host metabolism, inflammation and vascular functionEarly-stage; some interventions (bile acid modulators) affect metabolic parameters in trials outside uploaded files; specific microbiome-targeted metabolite therapies are emergentEarly translational/mechanistic trialsConcept supported across reviews; direct clinical evidence in diabetes remains limited within your reprintsCalvo-Barreiro et al[211]


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