Targeting the Gut Microbiome in Youth-Onset Type 2 Diabetes: Effects of Metformin and Liraglutide Therapy

We performed a planned secondary analysis of stool samples collected from a 3-month clinical trial involving African American youth with type 2 diabetes (Y-T2D). Participants were randomly assigned to receive either metformin alone or a combination of metformin and liraglutide. The goal of this analysis was to (1) compare the gut microbiome and metabolite profiles between the two treatment groups, and (2) explore how changes in gut bacteria were related to blood sugar metabolism and metabolite levels before and after treatment. Stool samples were collected at the beginning and end of the 3-month intervention. These samples were analyzed using whole genome shotgun sequencing with the Illumina HiSeq 1000 platform, and microbial composition was assessed using metagenomic phylogenetic analysis.