Microbiome-Based Precision Medicine

The microbiome R&D is an area of science that is continuing to prove its importance. A PubMed search on the term “human microbiome” yielded 300 citations in 2003, 4,498 citations in 2013, and 38,318 citations in 2018. Basic and applied biomedical research from the Human Microbiome Project and other independent studies prove that a disruption of a stable microbiome ecosystem results in dysbiosis. This imbalance leads to chronic disease and health conditions like inflammation, metabolic disorders, gut disorders, obesity, type 2 diabetes, autoimmune disorders, inflammatory bowel disease, neurodevelopmental disorders and more. There is great promise in correlating the microbiome compositions with these diseases and using the microbiome as a tool for therapeutic, diagnostic and product development.

Cambridge Healthtech Institute’s 3rd Annual Microbiome-Based Precision Medicine symposium explores the scientific and clinical research and applications being made in microbial targeted therapies for chronic disease and health conditions. Through interactive sessions and panel discussions, leading researchers and thought leaders will discuss how their work in this field has and will continue to have tremendous impact in generating personalized diagnostics and therapeutics to improve disease treatment and health maintenance.

Final Agenda

Day 1 | Day 2 | Download Brochure

Thursday, March 14

7:00 am Registration Open and Morning Coffee (Golden Gate Foyer)

8:25 Chairperson’s Opening Remarks

8:30 NEW: Metagenomics and Metabolomics

Zarling_David David Zarling, PhD, MBA, CEO, Colby Pharmaceuticals

9:00 More Accurate 16S Microbiome Sequencing Using All Hypervariable Regions

Crosby_Seth Seth Crosby, MD, Director, Research Collaborations, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis

9:30 Microbiome Data Analysis – Computational Tools and Statistical Methods

Li-Hongzhe Hongzhe Li, Professor of Biostatistics and Statistics, Director, Center for Statistics in Big Data, Chair, Biostatistics Graduate Program, Vice Chair for Integrative Research, Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, University of Pennsylvania

View research paper "Compositional Mediation Analysis for Microbiome Studies" here.

10:00 Complexity of Informatics in the Microbiome: A Real-World View

Manoj Dadlani, CEO, CosmosID

Microbiome research has grown rapidly over the past decade in many fields, including therapeutics, clinical diagnostics, public health, and food safety. However, scientists still cite the lack of user friendly and validated bioinformatics as a major bottleneck in the adoption of metagenomic sequencing and data analysis. In this presentation, we offer an overview of primary methods and different components of the microbiome analysis workflow, including quality of input sequence data, compute-efficient algorithms, database concepts that support strain-level classification, and methods that reduce the high dimensionality of metagenomic data for comparative visualizations.

10:30 Coffee Break in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing

11:15 Microbiome Association and Role in Gynecologic Cancers

Walther-Antonio_Marina Marina Walther-Antonio, PhD, Associate Consultant, Department of Surgery and Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Assistant Professor, Microbiome Program, Center for Individualized Medicine, Mayo Clinic

The use of microbiome biomarkers as a screening tool for the detection of endometrial cancer will be presented. The investigation into the microbial role in the disease and preventive strategy implications will also be discussed. In addition, ovarian cancer prognostic microbiome biomarkers and microbial role in drug metabolism will also be addressed.

11:45 Microbiome Restorative Therapy (MBRT) Applications in Dogs and Cats for Acute and Chronic Medical Issues

Roman_Margo Margo Roman, DVM CVA, COT, CPT, FAAO, Founder and Owner, Main Street Animal Services of Hopkinton (MASH)

Healthy fecal transplants can help animals, like humans, with certain medical conditions and chronic diseases that have developed from or exacerbated by damage to the microbiome. Damage resulting from allergies, weakened immune system after years of exposure to antibiotics and other drugs, environmental chemicals, and poor diet. Medical conditions and diseases include parvo, giardia, Lyme, irritable bowel, pancreatic insufficiency, Cancer, kidney and liver failure, and allergies. Ozone therapy can also assist in the removal of the biofilm in the gut, important for restoration and better outcomes. For over 40 years, Dr Roman has practiced integrative and functional veterinarian medicine, healing animals with a variety of successful treatments and therapies. She has completed more than 7,000 MBRT and ozone treatments in over 1,000 animals and is a regarded veterinary leader in her field. Her clinic is the first to establish a Fecal Bank for cats and dogs. Dr. Roman will discuss the work of her clinic in improving animal health and medical issues including behavior from aggressive to friendly.

12:30 Enjoy Lunch on Your Own

1:55 Chairperson’s Remarks

Sudeep Basu, PhD, Practice Leader, TechVision-Innovation Services, Frost & Sullivan

2:00 Influence of Bacterial Amyloid in Animal Models of Neurodegeneration

Friedland_Robert Robert Friedland, MD, Chief, Laboratory of Neurogeriatrics, University of Louisville

The factors initiating amyloid aggregation and neuroinflammation in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, frontotemporal lobar degeneration and ALS are all unknown in the 90-99% of cases that are not inherited. We have demonstrated that functional bacterial amyloid proteins made by the microbiota in the gut cross-seed aggregation of neurodegenerative disease proteins and enhance inflammation in the brain though pathways involving the innate immune system. This is a particularly promising approach to these disorders, as there are many ways in which our microbial partners residing in the gut can be altered.
View research paper "The role of microbial amyloid in neurodegeneration" here.

2:30 Gut Microbiota Regulate Motor Deficits and Neuroinflammation in a Model of Parkinson’s Disease

Mazmanian_Sarkis Sarkis K. Mazmanian, PhD, Luis & Nelly Soux Professor of Microbiology, Division of Biology & Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

The intestinal microbiota influence neurodevelopment, modulate behavior, and contribute to neurological disorders. However, a functional link between gut bacteria and neurodegenerative diseases remains unexplored. Synucleinopathies are characterized by aggregation of the protein α-synuclein (αSyn), often resulting in motor dysfunction as exemplified by Parkinson’s disease (PD). Using mice that overexpress αSyn, we report herein that gut microbiota are required for motor deficits, microglia activation, and αSyn pathology.

3:30 Refreshment Break and Poster Competition Winner Announced in the Exhibit Hall

4:15 Fecal Microbiota Transplant (FMT) and C. difficile: The Beginnings of ‘Microbiome Management’

Stollman_Neil Neil Stollman, MD, AGAF, FACG, FACP, Director, East Bay Center for Digestive Health Research Center; Chairman, Division of Gastroenterology, Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, Oakland; Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, University of California San Francisco; Elected Governor for Northern California, American College of Gastroenterology (ACG)

C. difficile infection is caused by a gut dysbiosis, and traditional antibiotic therapies, while effective against the vegetative bacteria, may not kill the spores, and often further disrupt the gut microbiota. Fecal Microbiota Transplant (FMT), a process in which a presumptively healthy whole biome is instilled in the patient in an effort to reconstitute a ‘more healthy’ biome community, has been shown to be highly effective for this indication. There are more unanswered than answered questions remaining.

4:45 PANEL DISCUSSION: Identifying, Testing, and Scaling Digestive Treatments Using the Microbiome

McManus_Dave Dave McManus, Growth Marketer, Tuki (Moderator)

Roman_Margo Margo Roman, DVM CVA, COT, CPT, FAAO, Founder and Owner, Main Street Animal Services of Hopkinton

Stollman_Neil Neil Stollman, MD, AGAF, FACG, FACP, Director, East Bay Center for Digestive Health Research Center

Ganz_Holly Holly Ganz, PhD, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, AnimalBiome

5:45 Reception in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing

6:45 Close of Day

Day 1 | Day 2 | Download Brochure

Friday, March 15

8:00 am Registration Open and Morning Coffee (Continental Foyer)

8:25 Chairperson’s Remarks

Elizabeth (Betty) Kutter, PhD, Phage Lab Coordinator, The Evergreen State College

8:30 NEW: Selection, Characterization and Implementation of Bacteriophage as Natural, Self-replicating and Self-limiting Antimicrobials

Kutter_Elizabeth Elizabeth (Betty) Kutter, PhD, Phage Lab Coordinator, The Evergreen State College

9:30 NEW: An Internal Medicine VA Doctor's Perspective on Phage Therapy

Sarah Kuhl, MD, Allergy-Immunology and ID physician-scientist, VA Northern California

10:00 NEW: The Small Things (Bacteriophages and Fungi) that Matter in the Oral Microbiome as a Gateway to Systemic Health

Feldman_Bonnie Bonnie Feldman, DDS, MBA, Digital Health Analyst and Chief Growth Officer, DrBonnie360

The oral cavity is home to an immensely diverse microbiome: an estimated 20 billion microbes (more than 700 species) live in our mouths, with distinct populations predominating in different oral habitats. The status of our oral microbiome and health may provide an early indicator of systemic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases. As advances in big data analytics, next-generation sequencing, and systems immunology advance our knowledge about the human microbiome, our understanding of and approach toward oral health, systemic immunity, and systemic health is also evolving. This talk will focus on “the small things that matter’ in your mouth. First, I will describe how bacteriphages and fungi work. Second, I will discuss how we can use them now and in the future to improve oral and overall health.

10:30 Coffee Break in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing

11:15 Human Microbiome Growth Opportunities and Predictions

Basu_Sudeep Sudeep Basu, PhD, Practice Leader, TechVision-Innovation Services, Frost & Sullivan

This presentation focuses on recent development in the areas of microbiome-driven therapeutics. An overview of key research groups, disease focus areas and trends will be provided. The discussion will encompass a review of select technologies, markets and products as well.

11:45 NEW: Forming Collaborative Data Partnerships

Bell_Sean Sean Bell, Chief Business Officer Arivale