Bacteriophages regulate gut bacterial communities isolated from stunted children in an age specific manner

Child stunting is a significant health concern in low and middle-income countries. Delayed and reduced growth or stunting results from nutrition deficiencies, genetics, and altered gut microbiota. Recent studies have shown that gut bacteria of stunted children are different from their normal counterparts, generally with lower Firmicutes/Proteobacteria ratio. While the role of bacteriophages (phages for short) in regulating bacterial populations in the environment is well studied, their role in gut dysbiosis is unknown. In collaboration with the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, we have studied the role of phages in healthy and stunted children from Bangladesh. We show that these children harbor distinct gut bacteriophages relative to their non-stunted counterparts. Furthermore, the gut bacteriophages isolated from this children are infectious and can regulate bacterial abundance and composition in an age-specific manner, highlighting their possible role in the pathophysiology of child stunting.