Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common gastrointestinal disorder affecting 10 — 20 per cent of people. Abdominal pain, bloating and altered bowel habit significantly affect patient’s quality of life and can force them to take days off work. Previous research (the ACTIB trial) led by Professor Hazel Everitt at…
Study of bile acids links individual’s genetics and microbial gut community: Gene identified in mice affects both size of a bacterial population and bile acid levels in blood
In a new study published 29th August in PLOS Genetics, Federico Rey of the University of Wisconsin — Madison and colleagues identified genetic variants in mice that impact the levels of different bile acids as well as the size of a specific population of microbes in the gut. The complex…
Certain metabolites linked to stem cell function in the intestine: Molecules called ketone bodies may improve stem cells’ ability to regenerate new intestinal tissue
MIT biologists have discovered an unexpected effect of a ketogenic, or fat-rich, diet: They showed that high levels of ketone bodies, molecules produced by the breakdown of fat, help the intestine to maintain a large pool of adult stem cells, which are crucial for keeping the intestinal lining healthy. The…
3D printed pill samples gut microbiome to aid diagnosis and treatment
A research team led by Tufts University engineers has developed a 3D printed pill that samples bacteria found in the gut — known as the microbiome — as it passes through the gastrointestinal tract (GI). The ability to profile bacterial species inhabiting the gut could have important implications for the…
Anxiety might be alleviated by regulating gut bacteria: Review of studies suggests a potentially useful link between gut bacteria and mental disorders
People who experience anxiety symptoms might be helped by taking steps to regulate the microorganisms in their gut using probiotic and non-probiotic food and supplements, suggests a review of studies published today in the journal General Psychiatry. Anxiety symptoms are common in people with mental diseases and a variety of…
Maternal microbes mediate diet-derived damage
New research in The Journal of Physiology has found, using a mouse model, that microbes in the maternal intestine may contribute to impairment of the gut barrier during pregnancy. Scientists previously thought the changes in maternal metabolism that happen during pregnancy were due entirely to pregnancy hormones. We now believe…
Antibiotics may treat endometriosis: Targeted treatment reduces number of disease-causing microbes in mice
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found, in mice, that treatment with an antibiotic reduces the size of lesions caused by endometriosis. The researchers are planning a large, multicenter clinical trial to test the drug metronidazole in women who have the painful condition. The study…
How the microbiota controls neutrophil activity
A host protein called Serum Amyloid A (Saa) is a major factor mediating the effects of the microbiota on the function of immune cells called neutrophils, according to a study published March 7 in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by John Rawls of Duke University School of Medicine, and colleagues….
Exercise might improve health by increasing gut bacterial diversity
Bacteria, often synonymous with infection and disease, may have an unfair reputation. Research indicates there are as many, if not more, bacterial cells in our bodies as human cells, meaning they play an important role in our physiology (1). In fact, a growing body of evidence shows that greater gut…
Immunological scarring from celiac disease: Celiac disease can cause irreversible changes to immune cells
Immune cells in the bowel of people who suffer with celiac disease are permanently replaced by a new subset of cells that promote inflammation, suggests a new study involving researchers at Cardiff University. This permanent ‘immunological scarring’ lays the foundation for the disease to progress and could have long-term implications…
Almost 2,000 unknown bacteria discovered in the human gut: Researchers identify novel gut bacteria species and call for more data from beyond Europe and North America
Researchers at EMBL’s European Bioinformatics Institute and the Wellcome Sanger Institute have identified almost 2000 bacterial species living in the human gut. These species are yet to be cultured in the lab. The team used a range of computational methods to analyse samples from individuals worldwide. The results, published in…