A new approach to tackle superbugs
Scientists have uncovered a novel antibiotic-free approach that could help prevent and treat one of the most widespread bacterial pathogens, using nanocapsules made of natural ingredients.
Read moreUlcers
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.
Read moreA reliable clock for your microbiome
The microbiome is a treasure trove of information about human health and disease, but getting it to reveal its secrets is challenging. A new genetic 'repressilator' circuit acts like a clock that tracks how bacterial growth changes over time with single-cell precision. This tool allows scientists to noninvasively study the dynamics of the microbiome, and also unlocks the potential for complex, synthetic-biology-based diagnostics and therapeutics for the human gut.
Read moreImpacts of low-dose exposure to antibiotics unveiled in zebrafish gut
An antibiotic commonly found at low concentrations in the environment can have major impacts on gut bacteria, report researchers.
Read moreGut bacteria 'fingerprint' predicts radiotherapy side effects
Taking a 'fingerprint' of the mix of bacteria in the gut can indicate how susceptible individual cancer patients are to gut damage as a result of radiotherapy for prostate and gynaecological cancers, a new study shows. Researchers showed that having a reduced diversity of gut bacteria was associated with an increased risk of both immediate and delayed damage to the gut following radiotherapy.
Read moreBabies' gut bacteria affected by delivery method
Babies born vaginally have different gut bacteria — their microbiome — than those delivered by caesarean, research has shown. Scientists discovered that whereas vaginally born babies got most of their gut bacteria from their mother, caesarean babies instead had more bacteria associated with hospital environments in their guts. It isn't known if these differences at birth will have any effect on later health.
Read moreInteractions between bacteria and parasites
A team has completed the first study of the effects of a simultaneous infection with blood flukes (schistosomes) and the bacterium Helicobacter pylori — a fairly common occurrence in some parts of the world. They identified a complex interaction which resulted — among other effects — in a weakening of the adverse impact of the pathogens acting individually.
Read moreMicrobiome may be involved in mechanisms related to muscle strength in older adults
New study suggests the gut microbiome has a role in mechanisms related to muscle strength in older adults. Researchers found differences in bacterial profiles of older adults with high and low physical function, bacterial and strength differences in mice colonized with fecal samples from the adults.
Read moreGutsy effort to produce comprehensive study of intestinal gases
Chemical engineers have traced the journey of gases through the gut while further developing a non-invasive, gas-capturing capsule.
Read moreTherapeutic strategies for pregnant women with lupus
A highly gender-biased disease, lupus afflicts females some nine times more than males. Because of the disease's unpredictable turns and debilitating flares — the risks of which are elevated in postpartum women — females with the disease are often advised to avoid pregnancy altogether.
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