The study is aimed at evaluating numerous clinical factors and the microbiome in a select cohort of approximately 900 individuals with varying metabolic phenotypes to better understand the inter-relationship between the microbiome, obesity and metabolic disorders.
Dr Paul Huang Massachusetts General Hospital cardiology division has recruited the select cohort consisting of patients and normal subjects. Called the Cardiology and Metabolic Patient cohort, studies on this group have recently resulted in the finding of a gene conferring resistance to the development of diabetes.
Pfizer external R&D Innovation vice president Barbara Sosnowski noted that understanding the complex set of interactions between the gut microbes in obese and non-obese individuals is critical to the company’s research in metabolic disease, a key area of focus at Pfizer.
"Our relationship with Second Genome, a leading company in the rapidly growing microbiome field, may enable us to expand our knowledge in whole body metabolism, with a goal to better understand obesity," Sosnowski added.