Inside STAT: The microbiome's big moment

DON'T TELL THEM NOT TO LIVE, JUST SIT IN THE GUT-TER (ALEX HOGAN/STAT)

There’s been a lot of hype around designing therapeutics that target the gut microbiome — the collection of bacteria that live inside our bellies — but so far, that potential hasn’t led to real products on the market. The field is about to hit a turning point, however. As STAT’s Kate Sheridan writes, a number of companies will unveil clinical trial results this year that could show microbiome-based drugs are the real deal, or could dampen investment in the field. At stake are therapies that treat conditions including recurrent C. diff infections and ulcerative colitis. STAT Plus subscribers can read more here.