The human microbiome is proving to be a vital component of both human health and disease. For example, the microbiome of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract underlies central processes of nutrient capture and metabolism; however, disruption of this microbiome is believed to be causative of a number of disorders that may severely reduce the quality of an afflicted subject's life, or worse.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) affects an estimated 30 million people in the United States alone. IBS is a functional GI disorder that results in abdominal pain and/or discomfort, along with changes in bowel habits. It is often classified into four subtypes: constipation-associated IBS (IBS-C); diarrhea-associated IBS (IBS-D); mixed (or alternating) IBS (IBS-M or IBS-A); and unsubtyped (or unspecified) IBS (IBS-U).
Recent studies suggest a link between intestinal methane (CH4) production and constipation in IBS-C as well as chronic idiopathic constipation (CIC). Methane (CH4) production in humans, which is due to methanogenic archaea in the intestine (including Methanobrevibacter smithii (M. smithii)), likely reflects a microbiome disruption.
Antibiotic therapy may not be a feasible treatment for this affliction, as methanogens such as M. smithii are highly resistant to most classes of antibiotics and the likely chronic administration of antibiotics comes with a number of therapeutic risks, including further microbiome disruption.
Recent studies have suggested that certain statin drugs, including lovastatin, are promising candidates for the treatment of disorders such as IBS-C and CIC. Accordingly, the field would benefit from further related agents that may be able to provide treatment effects with benefits such as reduced doses and/or more extensive benefits.