The Microbiome Wipe – a New Frontier in Gut Health Testing

Gut health is a hugely popular wellness and preventative medicine topic. At Thorne HealthTech, we recognize this interest in the gut microbiome is not just a fad, but a new frontier of knowledge seeking and innovation in the pursuit of heathy living and healthy aging.

The human microbiome contains as many as 45 million genes[1]. This staggering complexity makes each person’s microbiome, including their gut, totally unique. And recent advances in sequencing techniques and bioinformatics have increased our knowledge of these complex microbial communities, and their interactions, within our guts. Among our team’s many research findings, we have unveiled that the gut microbiome – the 100 trillion bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and viruses that live in our gut – tends to become increasingly individualized over time in healthy aging, its diversity is reflected in the nutrients and toxins that appear in our blood, and serves as a strong predictor of future health outcomes[2-4].

As more research becomes available, individuals are becoming increasingly aware that microorganism imbalance in their gut can lead to a variety of health problems, including gastrointestinal disorders, chronic disease, poor nutrient absorption, and even drug resistance[5]. A healthy gut, on the other hand, is associated with increased nutrient absorption and optimal immune function. Personalized solutions informed by data helps alleviate gut problems like diarrhea, constipation, bloating, and irritable bowel syndrome[6].

At Thorne HealthTech, we asked: What can we do to help individuals become better partners with their gut and create a more symbiotic relationship? How can we enable individuals to take a more personalized, data-driven, and preventative approach to their health?

Our latest answer is our unique Microbiome Wipe, which is now part of our Gut Health Test. The Microbiome Wipe is a first-to-market, biodegradable, user-friendly wipe that makes collecting a stool sample as easy as using toilet paper. The innovative Microbiome Wipe totally eliminates user reluctance to testing by providing a sampling method that is rooted in user convenience. In clinical studies, the Microbiome Wipe has shown as good or better efficacy as traditional stool sampling methods[7].

Thorne dedicates significant resources to make complex science more accessible to its customers. And our Gut Health Test – hugely improved with our Microbiome Wipe – provides a leading-edge solution for those looking for personalized information as unique as their own microbiome. The Gut Health Test arms users with detailed analyses of multiple factors – like digestion, inflammation, nervous system, immune readiness, and pathogens – to help them take proactive and actionable steps to improve their health. To learn more about this one-of-a-kind innovation, read on:

References

1.????????Tierney, B.T., Z. Yang, J.M. Luber, M. Beaudin, M.C. Wibowo, C. Baek, E. Mehlenbacher, C.J. Patel, and A.D. Kostic, The Landscape of Genetic Content in the Gut and Oral Human Microbiome. Cell Host Microbe, 2019. 26(2): p. 283-295 e8.

2.????????Wilmanski, T., N. Rappaport, C. Diener, S.M. Gibbons, and N.D. Price, From taxonomy to metabolic output: what factors define gut microbiome health? Gut Microbes, 2021. 13(1): p. 1-20.

3.????????Wilmanski, T., C. Diener, N. Rappaport, S. Patwardhan, J. Wiedrick, J. Lapidus, J.C. Earls, A. Zimmer, G. Glusman, M. Robinson, J.T. Yurkovich, D.M. Kado, J.A. Cauley, J. Zmuda, N.E. Lane, A.T. Magis, J.C. Lovejoy, L. Hood, S.M. Gibbons, E.S. Orwoll, and N.D. Price, Gut microbiome pattern reflects healthy ageing and predicts survival in humans. Nat Metab, 2021. 3(2): p. 274-286.

4.????????Wilmanski, T., N. Rappaport, J.C. Earls, A.T. Magis, O. Manor, J. Lovejoy, G.S. Omenn, L. Hood, S.M. Gibbons, and N.D. Price, Blood metabolome predicts gut microbiome alpha-diversity in humans. Nat Biotechnol, 2019. 37(10): p. 1217-1228.

5.????????Javdan, B., J.G. Lopez, P. Chankhamjon, Y.J. Lee, R. Hull, Q. Wu, X. Wang, S. Chatterjee, and M.S. Donia, Personalized Mapping of Drug Metabolism by the Human Gut Microbiome. Cell, 2020. 181(7): p. 1661-1679 e22.

6.????????Meydan, C., E. Afshinnekoo, N. Rickard, G. Daniels, L. Kunces, T. Hardy, L. Lili, S. Pesce, P. Jacobson, C.E. Mason, J. Dudley, and B. Zhang, Improved gastrointestinal health for irritable bowel syndrome with metagenome-guided interventions. Precis Clin Med, 2020. 3(2): p. 136-146.

7.????????Hua, H., C. Meydan, E.E. Afshin, L.N. Lili, C.R. D’Adamo, N. Rickard, J.T. Dudley, N.D. Price, B. Zhang, and C.E. Mason, A Wipe-Based Stool Collection and Preservation Kit for Microbiome Community Profiling. Frontiers in Immunology, 2022. 13.