New research from the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s (UMSOM) Institute for Genome Sciences (IGS), published online in the journal mBio in June found it is not just the content of breastmilk that makes the difference. It is also the way the babies digest it.
Tag: Microbiome
Research links red meat intake, gut microbiome, and cardiovascular disease in older adults
A new study shows older adults who ate about a serving of meat daily had a 22 percent higher risk of cardiovascular disease than those who didn’t eat meat, and identifies biologic pathways that help explain the risk. Higher risk and links to gut bacteria were found for red meat, not poultry, eggs, or fish.
Early Exposure to Antibiotics Can Cause Permanent Asthma and Allergies
Early exposure to antibiotics kills healthy bacteria in the digestive tract and can cause asthma and allergies, a new study demonstrates.
Mouse study links changes in microbiome to prenatal opioid exposure
Prenatal exposure to opioids had been linked to a range of adverse outcomes in infants, including poor fetal growth, low birthweight, possible congenital defects and a higher risk of admission to neonatal intensive care. Less information is known, however, on how developmental opioid exposure shapes an infant’s microbiome and how that influence, in turn, may trigger neurological or behavioral effects later in life.
‘You Are What You Eat,’ and Now Researchers Know Exactly What You’re Eating
UC San Diego researchers describe a new method to identify all of the unidentified molecules derived from food, providing a direct way to link molecules in diet to health outcomes.
A Rhythmic Small Intestinal Microbiome Prevents Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes
UC San Diego researchers found that in mice how much they ate and when altered the nature of their gut microbiome: too much food too frequently resulted in poorer microbial and metabolic health.
Skin and Oral Microbiota Contribute to Blood Pressure Regulation
Article title: Beyond the gastrointestinal tract: oral and sex-specific skin microbiota are associated with hypertension in rats with genetic disparities Authors: Xue Mei, Blair Mell, Xi Cheng, Ji-Youn Yeo, Tao Yang, Nathaline Chiu, Bina Joe From the authors: “In conclusion,…
Common Prebiotic Fiber Mitigates Harm of High-salt Diet in Rats
New research in rats finds a diet high in the fiber inulin offered a protective effect against the damage of a high-salt diet. The research will be presented this week at the American Physiological Society and American Society for Nephrology Control of Renal Function in Health and Disease conference
With Roommates, It’s All About Chemistry, Molecularly Speaking
UC San Diego researchers describe how the microbiomes of people and the homes they live in interact and change each other.
A New Approach Produces a 90-Fold Increase in Known Viral Taxa
Viruses play an essential role in regulating microbiomes. However, the use of metagenomics and metatranscriptomics have produced taxonomies of only a tiny proportion of the world’s viruses. In this study, researchers used a novel algorithm to compare and incorporate 715,672 metagenome viruses from environmental samples around the world. This expands the viral taxa available to researchers from about 8,000 to 723,672. The scientists then used the data to examine samples from two Populus tree genotypes.
Lager beer, whether it contains alcohol or not, could help men’s gut microbes
In a pilot study, researchers in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry report that compared to their pre-trial microbiome, men who drank either one alcoholic or non-alcoholic lager daily had a more diverse set of gut microbes, which can reduce the risk for some diseases.
Probiotic bacteria may enhance tamoxifen effectiveness in treatment of ER+ breast cancer
Probiotic bacteria may enhance anti-cancer activities of the breast cancer drug tamoxifen and other endocrine-targeted therapies, which could help reduce the risk of estrogen receptive positive (ER+) breast cancer, suggests a new study presented Monday at ENDO 2022, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in Atlanta, Ga.
Mount Sinai Microbiome Lab Joins NIH’s Accelerating Medicines Partnership
The National Institutes of the Health (NIH) has awarded researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai a four-year grant to study the role of the human microbiome in rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus, and other autoimmune diseases. The grant is part of the NIH’s Accelerating Medicines Partnership® Autoimmune and Immune-Mediated Diseases (AMP® AIM) program, which is designed to speed the discovery of new treatments and diagnostics. It will support the Microbiome Technology and Analytic Center Hub (Micro-TEACH), a multidisciplinary team of researchers at Icahn Mount Sinai and NYU Langone Health.
Move Over, Gut Microbiota—Skin and Mouth Bacteria May Help Regulate Blood Pressure Too
New research in rats finds specific bacteria populations in the mouth and on the skin may be beneficial in blood pressure regulation. The first-of-its-kind study is published ahead of print in Physiological Genomics.
New tool integrates microbiome and host genetic sequencing analysis
A new software tool makes it easier to study relationships between a host, its microbiome and pathogens like HIV or SARS-CoV-2.
“Intestinal Microflora” as Health Indicator, A National-level Research Project by Chula Doctors in Response to Problems of an Aging Society
Chula’s Faculty of Medicine pioneers Thailand’s first research work that studies “Intestinal Microflora Microbiome of the Aged” which gathers basic information at the national level to unlock the relationship between the wellness of the aged and intestinal microflora that can predict risks of diseases and health and the population’s wellbeing.
FSU College of Health and Human Sciences team receives grant to study diet for healthy aging
A new Florida State University project is looking at how starches found in beans and other legumes might improve gut health and foster healthier aging. The research, spearheaded by Assistant Professor of Nutrition & Integrative Physiology Ravinder Nagpal, is funded by a $242,000 grant from the USDA.
Children’s dislike of cauliflower, broccoli could be written in their microbiome
Researchers reporting in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry have found that levels of volatile, sulfurous compounds are similar in parent-child pairs, suggesting shared oral microbiomes. They also found that high levels cause children to dislike the vegetables.
Climate Change Threatens Base of Polar Oceans’ Bountiful Food Webs
A study recently published in Nature Communications suggests that displacing cold-water communities of algae with warm-adapted ones threatens to destabilize the delicate marine food web. The team was led by University of East Anglia researchers and included DOE Joint Genome Institute researchers.
Mayo researchers link gut microbiome to rheumatoid arthritis prognosis
A significant indicator of whether a patient with rheumatoid arthritis will improve over the course of disease may lie in part in their gut, according to new research from Mayo Clinic’s Center for Individualized Medicine.
The study, published in Genome Medicine, found that predicting a patient’s future rheumatoid arthritis prognosis could be possible by zeroing in on the trillions of bacteria, viruses and fungi that inhabit their gastrointestinal tract, known as the gut microbiome. The findings suggest that gut microbes and a patient’s outcome of rheumatoid arthritis are connected.
MD Anderson and SNIPR BIOME collaborate to advance next-generation CRISPR microbiome therapeutics
MD Anderson and SNIPR BIOME have announced a strategic collaboration to advance next-generation CRISPR-based microbiome therapies to reduce immune-related side effects in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors.
Do a Mom’s Medications Affect Her Breast Milk and Baby? New Center Investigates
UC San Diego School of Medicine receives $6.1M to launch a new research center studying the effects of maternal antibiotic use on breast milk and infant health. The center is funded by National Institutes of Health, as part of their new Maternal and Pediatric Precision in Therapeutics (MPRINT) Hub.
Making the microbiome more amenable to cancer immunotherapy
The gut microbiome can impact us in a variety of different ways, from our metabolism to our mood. Now, NIBIB-funded researchers are investigating if a fiber-based gel can restore beneficial microbes in the gut to enhance the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors, a type of cancer immunotherapy treatment, in mice.
Researchers Track How Microbiome Bacteria Adapt to Humans via Transmission
Beneficial bacteria in the gut microbiome use different means to transmit from one person to another which impacts their abundance in the gut and the functions they provide, new research has found.
Fungi That Live in the Gut Influence Health and Disease
Bacteria’s role in gut health has received a lot of attention in recent years. But new research publishing in Nature shows that fungi—another microorganism that lives within us—may be equally important in health and disease. Fungi thrive in the healthy gut, but when interactions with the immune system are off-balance, they cause intestinal damage that may contribute to gastrointestinal disease. Additional investigation demonstrate that vaccines could be developed as therapeutics to improve gut health.
Antibiotics in Early Life Could Affect Brain Development
Antibiotic exposure early in life could alter human brain development in areas responsible for cognitive and emotional functions, according to a Rutgers researcher.
Study identifies gut microbes associated with toxicity to combined checkpoint inhibitors in melanoma patients
Researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center found specific intestinal microbiota signatures correlate with high-grade adverse events and response to combined CTLA-4 and PD-1 blockade treatment.
Studying how microbiome affects immunity could improve vaccine effectiveness
A new grant will help Iowa State University researchers figure out how the microbiome, or all the microorganisms that live inside and on human systems, affects immunity and the effectiveness of vaccines. Not everyone responds to vaccines in identical ways, and the researchers will search for ways humans can adjust their microbiomes to optimize vaccine response.
New Cleveland Clinic Research Identifies Link Between Gut Microbes and Stroke
New findings from Cleveland Clinic researchers show for the first time that the gut microbiome impacts stroke severity and functional impairment following stroke. The results, published in Cell Host & Microbe, lay the groundwork for potential new interventions to help treat or prevent stroke. The research was led by Weifei Zhu, Ph.D., and Stanley Hazen, M.D., Ph.D., of Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute.
SARS-CoV-2 Detectable — Though Likely Not Transmissible — on Hospital Surfaces
UC San Diego School of Medicine researchers discovered that SARS-CoV-2, or at least its genetic signature, abounds on hospital surfaces, often co-locating with one particular type of bacteria.
Restoring gut microbes missing in early life dysbiosis can reduce the risk of colitis in genetically prone mice
A new study at the University of Chicago has determined that restoring a single microbial species — Bacteroides sp. CL1-UC (Bc) — to the gut microbiome at a key developmental timepoint can prevent antibiotic-induced colitis in a mouse model of the condition.
Researchers Find Evidence That Diet Can Alter the Microbiome to Affect Breast Cancer Risk
New research shows that diet, including fish oil supplements, can alter not only the breast microbiome, but also breast cancer tumors. The study appears online in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
Thomas Jefferson University Sends Research into Space
Three projects from Philadelphia will become part of the first-ever private mission to the International Space Station
Global Study Finds Each City Has Unique Microbiome Fingerprint of Bacteria and Viruses
Each city has its own unique microbiome, a “fingerprint” of viruses and bacteria that uniquely identify it, according to a new study from an international consortium of researchers that included a team from the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM). The international project, which sequenced and analyzed samples collected from public transit systems and hospitals in 60 cities around the world, was published today in the journal Cell.
We’ve Got the Dirt on Soil Protists
The diverse collection of microbes known as protists are understudied, but their impact on ecosystems and agriculture could be huge.
Meeting Preview: Hot Topics at NUTRITION 2021 LIVE ONLINE
Reporters and bloggers are invited to join top nutrition researchers and practitioners for a dynamic virtual program at NUTRITION 2021 LIVE ONLINE. The flagship meeting of the American Society for Nutrition runs June 7–10, 2021 and features research announcements, expert discussions and more.
Bacteria do not colonize the gut before birth, says collaborative study
Researchers examined prenatal stool (meconium) samples collected from 20 babies during breech Cesarean delivery. By including only breech caesarean deliveries in healthy pregnant women they were able to avoid the transmission of bacteria that occurs naturally during a vaginal birth.
Epitranscriptomics, Xenobiotic Nuclear Receptors, Arsenic Exposure, and More Featured in May 2021 Toxicological Sciences
Research on biomarkers, carcinogenesis, regulatory science, and more is available in the latest issue of Toxicological Sciences.
Ravi Sheth Wins Hertz Thesis Prize for Revolutionizing Microbial Research
Hertz Fellow Ravi Sheth was awarded the 2020 Hertz Thesis Prize for developing new tools used in microbial research.
UChicago Medicine launches new center to find the keys to lifelong health
The University of Chicago Medicine is launching an innovative center that will research how infant health can impact an individuals’ health throughout their lifetime.
Burning the Forest, Not Just the Trees
Wildfires affect both the visible parts of plants and the plant microbiome. Understanding these effects helps scientists mitigate the effects of wildfires. This research examined microbial DNA samples from tissues of young quaking aspen saplings after a prescribed burn. Aspen relies largely on fire to regenerate. This work demonstrates that fire affects the entire plant microbiome, not just nearby soil.
Are there soil microbes under my fingernails?
Exposure to soil microorganisms, human health closely related
Mount Sinai researchers discover multiple types of DNA methylation from individual bacteria and microbiome using nanopore sequencing
MEDIA ADVISORY – UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL Monday, April 5 at 11:00 AM EST Journal Name: Nature Methods Title of the Article: Discovering multiple types of DNA methylation from individual bacteria and microbiome using nanopore sequencing Corresponding Author: Gang Fang, PhD…
Weizmann Scientists Find That Bacteria May Aid Anti-Cancer Immune Response
The Weizmann Institute’s Prof. Yardena Samuels, Prof. Eran Segal, and Dr. Ravid Straussman, with partners at MD Anderson Cancer Center, the NCI, and elsewhere, have discovered that the bacteria living inside cancer cells can be harnessed to provoke an immune reaction against the tumor. The work could also help explain findings showing that the microbiome affects the success of immunotherapy.
Collaborative Research Institute Offers March 3, March 24 Webinars on Gut Microbiome
Research on the relationship between the gut microbiome and diet can provide insights into diseases like depression and other health conditions.
Science Snapshots From Berkeley Lab
These news briefs cover topics including gut microbes, tsetse flies in 3D, an energy use framework for heating and cooling, and new gravitational lensing candidates.
Bile acids may play previously unknown role in Parkinson’s
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Feb. 2, 2021) — What does bile acid production in the digestive tract have to do with Parkinson’s disease?
Symbionts of Methane Eating Microbes Fix Nitrogen
Sediments on the ocean floor contain large amounts of methane. Two groups of microbes work together in symbiosis to break down this methane in oxygen-deprived sediments. New research shows that both groups can fix nitrogen to satisfy their need for nutrients from methane. This helps the microbes hedge against changes in their environment.
Study in twins identifies fecal microbiome differences in food allergies
A new study out of the University of Chicago and Stanford University on pairs of twins with and without food allergies has identified potential microbial players in this condition.
Study: E-Cigarettes Trigger Inflammation in the Gut
Chemicals used for vaping break down zipper-like junctions between cells in the gut, leading to chronic inflammation and potential for other health concerns.