The study looked at genetic material and metabolites in stool samples from more than 1,400 people, noting the connection between cholesterol and cardiovascular health. The researchers identified the presence of Oscillibacter bacteria as being linked with reduced cholesterol. Then, the researchers used deep-learning technology to study how specific genes in the bacteria affect cholesterol. These genes make proteins that are similar to genes that process cholesterol. A 2020 study in Cell Host and Microbe had previously identified a specific enzyme that changes cholesterol to a cholesterol metabolite that is shuttled out of your body through your poop.
In the future, the bacteria or the enzymes themselves could be added to the gut so that people taking statins or other cholesterol-lowering drugs could reduce their medication. However, sometimes people’s current gut microbiome might not have room for good bacteria. According to a news release about the study, it might be a long time before these probiotic treatments are developed.