Gastrointestinal Health News and Research

Latest Gastrointestinal Health News and Research

COVID-19: What the illness looks like

With increasing information about COVID-19 disease gathered first-hand, a more accurate picture of the clinical features is coming together.

2 Apr 2020

Magnetic stimulation of rectal nerves could help treat fecal incontinence

An ongoing study by the Medical College of Georgia on the role of magnetic stimulation of the rectal nerves to achieve better bowel control in patients with fecal incontinence is showing early promise. The technique is called translumbosacral neuromodulation therapy, or TNT.

2 Apr 2020

Patients with chronic liver disease need specific care during COVID-19

Currently, there are limited data on the impact of pre-existing liver disease and the course of SARS-CoV-2 infection, with many open questions.

2 Apr 2020

Is coronavirus spread through feces?

A startling study from China, published in the journal Gastroenterology in March 2020, reports that the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 can spread via feces as well as the more familiar respiratory droplet route or from virus-contaminated surfaces.

2 Apr 2020

AGA publishes new COVID-19 recommendations for PPE during gastrointestinal procedures

Today, the American Gastroenterological Association published new COVID-19 recommendations in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the AGA: AGA Institute Rapid Recommendations for Gastrointestinal Procedures During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

1 Apr 2020

Study: Early introduction of solid foods may predispose infants to obesity

Infants who were started on solid foods at or before three months of age showed changes in the levels of gut bacteria and bacterial byproducts, called short-chain fatty acids, measured in their stool samples, according to a study from researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

1 Apr 2020

TGen ramps up testing for COVID-19 to combat global health threat

Since mid-January, the Translational Genomics Research Institute has joined the world-wide effort to test for the SARS-CoV-2 virus causing the COVID-19 disease.

31 Mar 2020

Pilot study will provide data for further testing of gut microbiome analysis

The intestinal microbiota, composed by the microorganisms that live in our intestines, can give us information about our health, since its composition may depend on factors such as the diet, the lifestyle or our pathologies.

31 Mar 2020

Editorial challenges U.S. healthcare system to reconsider conventional care for diverticulitis

An editorial challenges physicians and the U.S. healthcare system to reconsider the current "one size fits all" care for diverticulitis and to employ a precision medicine approach to determine which patients should be referred for colonoscopy.

31 Mar 2020

How to boost your immune system to fight coronavirus

As the world struggles with the coronavirus pandemic, more and more people are trying to protect themselves against the virus by all means possible. There are currently no vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), so boosting the immune system by way of diet, regular exercise, and sleep are sensible measures.

31 Mar 2020

UDCA treatment affects C. diff life cycle, reduces inflammatory response in mice

Researchers from North Carolina State University have found that a commonly used drug made from secondary bile acids can affect the life cycle of Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) in vitro and reduce the inflammatory response to C. diff in mice.

30 Mar 2020

Unraveling gut-to-brain communication paves way for targeted treatments

Scientists at Flinders University have, for the first time, identified a specific type of sensory nerve ending in the gut and how these may 'talk' to the spinal cord, communicating pain or discomfort to the brain.

30 Mar 2020

Scientists discover a completely new antibiotic resistance gene

Aminoglycoside antibiotics are critically important for treating several types of infections with multi-resistant bacteria.

27 Mar 2020

Microbiome could help identify pre-cancer risk in women with HPV

A new study published in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens in March 2020 reports the possible use of the bacteria Gardnerella found in the cervix and vagina of women with Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, as a marker of precancerous change. The findings could help to find new methods of treatment that involve inducing changes in the microbiome to arrest the course of the disease.

26 Mar 2020

Mount Sinai researchers reveal innovative mechanisms to predict and prevent Crohn's disease

In a series of four studies published today in Gastroenterology, a journal of the American Gastroenterological Association, Mount Sinai inflammatory bowel disease researchers, describe the identification of predictive tools and a new understanding of environmental factors that trigger IBD.

26 Mar 2020

Study shows disparities in guideline-concordant treatment for NSCLC patients

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-associated deaths in the United States. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), a group of lung cancers named for the kinds of cells found in the cancer, constitutes more than 80% of all lung cancer cases.

25 Mar 2020

Diet, nutrition have profound impact on microbial composition in the gut

Nutrition and diet have a profound impact on microbial composition in the gut, in turn affecting a range of metabolic, hormonal, and neurological processes, according to a literature review by scientists from the George Washington University and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

25 Mar 2020

New handheld, high-resolution medical imaging device has potential for bedside scanning

Scientists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore have developed the prototype of a handheld medical imaging device that can produce images down to resolutions of 1 to 2 micrometers.

25 Mar 2020

Presence of certain gut bacterium in mothers could protect babies from food allergies

Researchers have found that bacteria in a mother’s gut during pregnancy can protect the baby from developing food allergies.

25 Mar 2020

Detailed map of human tongue microbiome

A new study published in the journal Cell Reports in March 2020 reports the use of advanced and rapid spectral imaging techniques to develop a detailed map of microbial communities on the human tongue. The research will help to understand how such communities grow and form organized patterns.

24 Mar 2020