We are ecosystems; Microbiome and more

In a study recently published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, researchers have found evidence suggesting that certain types of gut bacteria may influence the thickness of the brain's cortex.

Microbes in the mammalian gut can significantly change their hosts' amino acid and glucose metabolism, acting almost like an extra liver, according to a new preclinical study by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators.

A new clinical trial revealed fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) as a potential new treatment for Parkinson’s disease (PD), showing significant improvement in motor symptoms.

New research highlights the critical role of unique gut bacteria in newborns, producing serotonin to educate immune cells and prevent allergic reactions early in life.

Research suggests bacteria may be present in the human GI tract before birth. But coherent experimental approaches are needed to determine whether bacteria actually colonize pre-birth.

Microbiota control of maternal behavior regulates early postnatal growth of offspring.

Cave yoghurt anybody?

An increasingly important field of work in modern life sciences is the study of the symbiotic coexistence of animals, plants, and humans with their specific microbial populations. In recent years, researchers ...

From mother to daughter to granddaughter.

A new computational tool has allowed scientists to map how microbes interact in the gut, and it could one day be used to develop more-targeted therapies for diseases.

An estimated 40% of the global adult population have high blood pressure, or hypertension, which puts people at risk of cardiovascular disease and other dangerous health conditions. Recent studies suggest ...

Can plant-derived nutrients alter gut bacteria to affect brain function? Scientists from the University of Leipzig Medical Center, the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences and the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research investigated this question in a study of overweight adults.

The hygiene hypothesis says exposure to germs helps kids develop healthy immune systems. But many viruses didn’t circulate as widely during the pandemic. Are there downsides to missed infections?

In wealthy urbanised societies there have been striking increases in chronic inflammatory disorders such as allergies, autoimmunity and inflammatory bowel diseases. There has also been an increase in the prevalence of individuals with systemically raised ...

We are told our gut microbiomes are set from birth with babies born by C-section missing out, but factors later in life seem to be just as important  

The microbes living on and in you can change your mood, your mind and your health - challenging our ideas about human nature

Background The gut microbiome is a critical modulator of host immunity and is linked to the immune response to respiratory viral infections. However, few studies have gone beyond describing broad compositional alterations in severe COVID-19, defined as acute respiratory or other organ failure. Methods We profiled 127 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 (n = 79 with severe COVID-19 and 48 with moderate) who collectively provided 241 stool samples from April 2020 to May 2021 to identify links between COVID-19 severity and gut microbial taxa, their biochemical pathways, and stool metabolites. Results Forty-eight species were associated with severe disease after accounting for antibiotic use, age, sex, and various comorbidities. These included significant in-hospital depletions of Fusicatenibacter saccharivorans and Roseburia hominis, each previously linked to post-acute COVID syndrome or “long COVID,” suggesting these microbes may serve as early biomarkers for the eventual development of long COVID. A random forest classifier achieved excellent performance when tasked with classifying whether stool was obtained from patients with severe vs. moderate COVID-19, a finding that was externally validated in an independent cohort. Dedicated network analyses demonstrated fragile microbial ecology in severe disease, characterized by fracturing of clusters and reduced negative selection. We also observed shifts in predicted stool metabolite pools, implicating perturbed bile acid metabolism in severe disease. Conclusions Here, we show that the gut microbiome differentiates individuals with a more severe disease course after infection with COVID-19 and offer several tractable and biologically plausible mechanisms through which gut microbial communities may influence COVID-19 disease course. Further studies are needed to expand upon these observations to better leverage the gut microbiome as a potential biomarker for disease severity and as a target for therapeutic intervention.

Discoveries may pave the way for improved therapies for gastrointestinal issues. Following your gut. Losing your appetite. A gutsy move. Though we often consider the gut as merely a digestive tool, these common expressions reflect the central role the gut plays in a much wider range of essential fu

Microbiome transmission among individuals can affect your health.

Vasiliki Koliaraki at the Alexander Fleming Biomedical Sciences Research Center in Vari, Greece, and co-workers will use their Global Grant for Gut Health to examine whether age-related changes to gut microbiota modulate the activity of host tissue cells called fibroblasts, and provide an optimal microenvironment for cancerous tumours to take hold.

Scientific Reports - Gut microbes predominantly act as living beneficial partners rather than raw nutrients

These obscure amphibians are full of surprises.

The mythological Norse god Thor hails from the celestial city of Asgard, and according to revolutionary research published in the scientific journal, Nature, he's not the only Asgardian. This new research suggests that we humans — along with eagles, starfish, daisies, and every complex organism on E

Fruits and vegetables contain prebiotics, which act as a food source for gut microbes and may boost overall health

New research shows that tumours are home to a rich ecosystem of bacteria and fungi that influence cancer progression - opening up incredible new ways to fight the disease

A new study published 14 June in JAMA Psychiatry has found evidence that supplementing the diet with a probiotic blend containing 14 strains of bacteria can help individuals who are being treated for major depressive disorder with antidepressants. The research, led by the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King's College London and in partnership with ADM Protexin, part of ADM, demonstrated the potential of probiotic supplementation to support improvements in multiple depression and anxiety scores over an eight-week period.

Is de mens het enige wezen met bewustzijn? Zeker niet. Hier zijn vijf organismen – van de meest primitieve tot enkele van de slimste op aarde – die zich volgens wetenschappers bewust zijn van zichzelf en hun omgeving.

This could aid diagnosis.

This is... fine?

To review the burden of allergic and infectious diseases and the evidence for a link to microbial exposure, the human microbiome and immune system, and to assess whether we could develop lifestyles which reconnect us with exposures which could reduce ...