Gastrointestinal Microbiota and Advances in Prebiotic and Probiotic Research Conference - Closing Remarks

Jon Vanderhoof, M.D.
Global Medical Affairs
Mead Johnson Nutritionals
Evansville, IN

Dr. Vanderhoof thanked the audience for attending the conference on behalf of himself, his co-chair Jeff Gordon, the NIH planning committee (PPWG), and NIH sponsors. He stated that this conference provided hypotheses for the ways probiotics may function (i.e., attachment, regulation of specific genes, production of beneficial metabolic products), although more research is needed in this area. It is clear that probiotic research is progressing, but mechanistic studies are needed to understand the interplay of the various factors involved, such as host genotype and composition of the microbial community. Dr. Vanderhoof implied that probiotics and prebiotics provide a significant opportunity to beneficially affect the health and well-being of the population, and research in this area should continue to be enthusiastically sponsored by the NIH.

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