Can the Gut Microbiome Reveal the Transition from Health to Disease? Insights from a Population-Based Study in Japan

We are pleased to announce that Prof. Shigefumi Okamoto from the University of Osaka Graduate School of Medicine, Japan, will join 13th World Congress on Targeting Microbiota - ISM 2026 as a speaker.

Most human microbiome studies compare individuals with established disease with healthy controls. However, changes in the gut microbiome may begin before disease becomes clinically apparent. An important question is therefore whether microbiome information can help us understand the transition from health to a pre-disease state and ultimately to clinical disease.

In our population-based health study in Japan, we have investigated associations between the gut microbiome and various health-related phenotypes by integrating microbiome profiles with clinical and health examination data. We have also applied causal inference approaches to move beyond simple associations and explore possible relationships between microbiome-related factors and disease development.

In this presentation, I will introduce our findings and discuss how causal inference, together with future longitudinal approaches, may help us understand microbiome-related changes occurring during the transition from health to disease.

Thank you again for your warm welcome today and for these wonderful opportunities. I am very much looking forward to seeing you again in Málaga and to contributing to the ISM community.