WikiBiomeThe human microbiome encyclopediaRanked matches across titles, topics, categories, and article introductions.
Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent mental health conditions globally, affecting ~280 million people (~4.8% of the world population). They encompass generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety, panic disorder, and phobias. In the WikiBiome context, anxiety f…
Depression is the most prevalent mental health disorder globally, affecting over 280 million people zhu 2025 microbiota gut brain axis depression review, and one of the most metal-sensitive conditions in this wiki. It sits at the convergence of nearly every pathway cata…
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a chronic condition in which stomach acid or bile flows back into the esophagus, causing mucosal damage and symptoms such as heartburn and regurgitation. Affecting approximately 20% of Western populations, GERD is conventionally…
Alphabetical definitions of specialist terms used throughout this wiki. Where a full concept page exists, the term links to it. --- AhR (aryl hydrocarbon receptor) -- A ligand-activated transcription factor that senses microbial metabolites (especially indoles from tryp…
Bidirectional communication between the gut microbiota and the central nervous system, mediated by neural (vagus nerve, enteric nervous system), immune (cytokines, microglia), endocrine (HPA axis), and metabolic (SCFAs, neurotransmitter precursors, tryptophan metabolite…
Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) is the signature Th1 cytokine and the primary activator of macrophage antimicrobial functions. In the WikiBiome framework, IFN-γ is critical for two reasons: it drives nutritional immunity (iron restriction against intracellular pathogens) and i…
Interleukin-10 is the primary anti-inflammatory cytokine, produced by Treg cells, macrophages, dendritic cells, and B cells. It suppresses pro-inflammatory cytokine production (IL-6, TNF-alpha, IL-1β), inhibits antigen presentation, and maintains immune tolerance. IL-10…
Interleukin-17 (primarily IL-17A and IL-17F) is the signature cytokine of Th17 cells. At physiological levels, IL-17 maintains mucosal barrier defense by recruiting neutrophils and inducing antimicrobial peptide production. At pathological levels (Th17/Treg imbalance), …
Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) is a master pro-inflammatory cytokine and the primary product of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Unlike IL-6 and TNF-alpha (which are transcriptionally regulated by nf kappa b), IL-1β requires a two-step activation: (1) NF-kB-driven transcription of p…
The immune system is not a monolith but a dynamic equilibrium between pro-inflammatory effector responses (Th1, Th2, Th17) and anti-inflammatory regulatory responses (Treg, IL-10, TGF-beta). Metals and the microbiome are two of the most potent environmental modulators o…
Interleukin-22 (IL-22) is an immune signaling protein that helps coordinate host responses at epithelial surfaces. In the gut evidence represented by WikiBiome, group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s) are a prominent source, while Th17-associated responses can also includ…
Interleukin-6 is a pleiotropic cytokine that sits at the crossroads of innate immunity, adaptive immunity, and metabolism. It is one of the most frequently elevated inflammatory mediators across conditions in this wiki — appearing in disease signatures spanning IBD, aut…
Maternal immune activation (MIA) describes the phenomenon in which infection or inflammatory stimulation during pregnancy produces persistent neurological and microbiome alterations in offspring, increasing risk for autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia, and other neu…
This page synthesizes findings across 1,426 source pages to map the relationships between metals and disease. Where individual source pages document a single study's findings, this page identifies the patterns that emerge when those findings are laid side by side. ADVER…
Inflammation is a broad concept, but in the metallomics context it has a specific character: heavy metals and pathogens activate overlapping inflammatory pathways, creating convergent pathology where distinguishing the metal contribution from the microbial contribution …
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune demyelinating disease of the central nervous system, with a global prevalence of approximately 2.8 million attfield 2022 immunology ms nature review. The conventional framing centers on genetic susceptibility (HLA-DRB115:0…
Neuroinflammation is an immune response within the central nervous system (CNS)—the brain and spinal cord. It involves changing states of microglia, astrocytes, cells of the neurovascular unit, and, in some settings, immune cells recruited from the circulation. The resp…
Nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-kB) is a family of transcription factors that regulate inflammation, immune responses, cell survival, and proliferation. NF-kB is a convergence point where metal toxicity, pathogen signaling, and chronic…
The NLRP3 inflammasome is a host innate-immune signaling complex that connects cellular danger signals to caspase-1 activation. In the canonical pathway represented in WikiBiome's evidence vault, caspase-1 processes the inflammatory cytokines IL-1beta and IL-18 and clea…
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) affects 3-8% of menstruating individuals Epperson et al. 2012, causing severe mood disturbances, irritability, anxiety, and physical symptoms during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. Distinguished from premenstrual syndrome …
A severe neuropsychiatric disorder affecting approximately 1% of the global population, characterized by positive symptoms (hallucinations, delusions), negative symptoms (anhedonia, social withdrawal, flat affect), and cognitive deficits. Life expectancy is reduced by 1…
TGF-beta is a pleiotropic cytokine with dual roles: immunosuppressive (driving regulatory T cell [Treg] differentiation and maintaining immune tolerance) and pro-fibrotic (promoting extracellular matrix deposition, wound healing, and tissue fibrosis). In the WikiBiome c…
Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) is a master pro-inflammatory cytokine produced primarily by macrophages, along with dendritic cells, T cells, and adipocytes. With 483 mentions across 262 files, TNF-alpha is the most referenced inflammatory mediator in the WikiBi…