Volume 30, Issue 174, August 2026

Gut microbiota and inflammatory diseases: current evidence and future perspectives

Szymon Uszak^♦, Adrianna Chachuła, Wojciech Szlajss, Natalia Kruk, Jan Olszewski, Julia Rojek, Izabela Ślusarczyk, Patrycja Jędrzejewska, Tomasz Szczawiński, Daria Wieczorek

Medical University of Lodz: Lodz, Łódź Voivodeship, Poland

^♦Corresponding author
Szymon Uszak, Medical University of Lodz: Lodz, Łódź Voivodeship, Poland

ABSTRACT

Introduction: The gut microbiota is a complicated and dynamic community of microorganisms exerting critical regulatory functions in immune homeostasis, nutrient metabolism, and defense against pathogens. Growing evidence demonstrates that disruption of microbial balance — referred to as dysbiosis — recreates a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of a wide range of inflammatory diseases, including inflammatory bowel disorder (IBD), rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, neurodegenerative conditions, and allergic disorders. Methods: The present narrative review was conducted using electronic databases and searches were performed between January 2018 – April 2026. Some of the important words were: microbes; community of microbes; imbalance of microbes; swelling; long-chain fatty acids; moving microbes from one place to another; and ways to treat illness. The study included peer-reviewed articles published in indexed journals, in English and other languages with available summaries. Results: Research consistently shows that disease-associated dysbiosis is characterized by reduced microbial diversity and altered ratios of certain bacteria, and decreased production of SCFAs. Specific bacteria, for example Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and Akkermansia muciniphila, have been identified as protective microorganisms, and their depletion has been linked to increased inflammatory activity. Therapeutic strategies, including probiotics, prebiotics, dietary interventions and faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), offer promising but variable results across disease states. Conclusion: The gut microbiota constitutes a modifiable therapeutic target for multiple inflammatory conditions. The future of precision medicine, multi-omics profiling and personalized nutrition holds great prospects for microbiota-targeted interventions.

Keywords: gut microbiota; dysbiosis; inflammatory bowel disease; immune modulation; therapeutic targets

Medical Science, 2026, 30, e167ms3906

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Published: 27 August 2026