Abstract
This letter emphasizes the need to expand discussions on gut microbiome's role in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and colorectal cancer (CRC) by including the often-overlooked non-bacterial components of the human gut flora. It highlights how viral, fungal and archaeal inhabitants of the gut respond towards gut dys-biosis and contribute to disease progression. Viruses such as bacteriophages target certain bacterial species and modulate the immune system. Other viruses found associated include Epstein-Barr virus, human papillomavirus, John Cunningham virus, cytomegalovirus, and human herpes simplex virus type 6. Fungi such as Candida albicans and Malassezia contribute by forming tissue-invasive filaments and producing inflammatory cytokines, respectively. Archaea, mainly metha-nogens are also found altering the microbial fermentation pathways. This corres-pondence, thus underscores the significance of considering the pathological and physiological mechanisms of the entire spectrum of the gut microbiota to develop effective therapeutic interventions for both IBD and CRC.