Results a Cell Magazine It appeared in February 2021. It was also surprising for professionals that such a large number that gathered 28,060 of the alleged human population came together through the analysis of the intestinal metagenome. These were mostly samples from healthy people, which is why researchers say the number of unknown virus species that live in the human gut is staggering. Among the tens of thousands of new virus types, a new widespread clade has been identified, which is the second most common group of viruses in the human gut, to our knowledge. This is referred to by the study authors as “cocoons.” (Clades are a group of viruses that science believes have their members related to a relative, that is, a common ancestor.)
It is a now known fact that many of the gut microorganisms are directly essential to human health, and intra-species imbalances can contribute to the development of many human diseases. Examples include inflammatory bowel disease, allergies, and obesity.
In light of the new knowledge, we can hope to gain a better understanding of how the human digestive system works, as well as how this massive type of virus affects human health.
The study’s first author, Dr. Louis F. Camarillo-Guerrero, Their elucidation of “high-quality viral genomes helps to understand the role viruses play in the life of intestinal bacteria”. In addition, it could help “develop new therapies such as bacteriophage-derived antimicrobials”.
Written by Zoltán Csibrányi
