A possible gut-brain connection to 'chemo brain'

To test the possible relationship between the gut and chemo brain, a lab is examining chemo's effects on mice whose guts have been manipulated before treatment. One experiment involves feeding the mice antibiotics. The other relies on the universal practice among mice of eating their own and their roommates' feces.

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Lifestyle is a threat to gut bacteria: Ötzi proves it, study shows


The evolution of dietary and hygienic habits in Western countries is associated with a decrease in the bacteria that help in digestion. These very bacteria were also found in the Iceman, who lived 5300 years ago, and are still present in non-Westernized populations in various parts of the world. The depletion of the microbiome may be associated with the increased prevalence, in Western countries, of complex conditions like allergies, autoimmune and gastrointestinal diseases, obesity.

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Cystic fibrosis carriers at increased risk of digestive symptoms

Researchers have found that carriers of the most common genetic variant that causes cystic fibrosis experience some symptoms similar to those of people with cystic fibrosis. These findings were enabled by large-scale genomic data made available just a few years ago.

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Hope for millions of IBS sufferers as research identifies cause of pain as 'gut itch'

This is big news for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients: 11% of the world's population suffers from IBS, but the fight against chronic pain has taken a major step forward with scientists identifying receptors in the nervous system which cause the condition in the hope of developing effective treatments.

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