Gastrointestinal Health News and Research

Latest Gastrointestinal Health News and Research

Scientists extract complete human genome from a thousands-of-years old “chewing gum”

It seems that chewing gum is not a new trend! Researchers have found chewing gum that is 5,700 years old and it has provided clues regarding ancient DNA. A study with the findings was published in the journal Nature Communications. It is titled, “A 5,700-year-old human genome and oral microbiome from chewed birch pitch.”

18 Dec 2019

Different mutations in a single gene can have myriad effects on a person's health

Mount Sinai researchers have found that different mutations in a single gene can have myriad effects on a person's health, suggesting that gene therapies may need to do more than just replenish the missing or dysfunctional protein the gene is supposed to encode, according to a study published in Nature Genetics in November.

18 Dec 2019

Being around dogs from early age may lessen chance of developing schizophrenia as adult

Ever since humans domesticated the dog, the faithful, obedient and protective animal has provided its owner with companionship and emotional well-being. Now, a study from Johns Hopkins Medicine suggests that being around "man's best friend" from an early age may have a health benefit as well -- lessening the chance of developing schizophrenia as an adult.

18 Dec 2019

High-fat meal can silence gut's communication with the body, study shows

A high-fat meal can silence communication between the intestine and the rest of the body, according to a new Duke University study in zebrafish.

17 Dec 2019

Study: Blocking IL1α protein decreases severity of inflammation in Crohn's disease

Investigators at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine discovered that blocking interleukin-1α (IL1α), a protein that controls inflammation in the gut, markedly decreases the severity of intestinal inflammation in a mouse model of Crohn's disease (CD).

17 Dec 2019

Novel drug from Amazon rainforest tree sap evaluated for treatment of chronic idiopathic diarrhea in non-HIV patients

A drug purified and developed from the sap of a tree in the Amazon rainforest is now being studied for the treatment of chronic idiopathic diarrhea in non-HIV patients at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston as part of a two-year pilot study.

16 Dec 2019

Type of upper airway bacteria could influence asthma severity

A new study raises the possibility of modulating asthma symptoms via the bacteria that commonly live in the upper airway. The work, which was published on December 16, 2019, in the journal Nature Communications, shows that in children who have mild to moderate asthma, the microbiome of the upper airway could determine how severe the symptoms are.

16 Dec 2019

Alterations in environmental factors may contribute to endometrial cancer

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecological malignancy in the U.S. and the fourth most common cancer among women.

16 Dec 2019

Study suggests link between bacteria in the upper airway and asthma severity

A new study led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggests there is a link between bacteria that live in the upper airway and the severity of asthma symptoms among children with mild to moderate asthma.

16 Dec 2019

Researchers identify novel genes associated with severity of peanut allergy

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have identified novel genes associated with the severity of peanut allergy, as well as ways in which these genes interact with other genes during allergic reactions.

14 Dec 2019

NIH provides up to $102.5 million in renewed funding for Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group

As antibiotic-resistant bacteria become more urgent threats worldwide, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, will provide up to $102.5 million in renewed funding over seven years for the Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group.

14 Dec 2019

Rectal microbes could make a difference to the effectiveness of HIV vaccines

Microbes living in the rectum could make a difference to the effectiveness of experimental HIV vaccines, according to researchers at the University of California, Davis. The work is published Dec. 11 in the journal mSphere.

13 Dec 2019

New strategy could prevent side effects of targeted cancer treatment

Targeted, highly effective cancer treatments often produce debilitating side effects. This is the case with one commonly used therapy which works by blocking the epidermal growth factor receptor, a protein that stimulates cell proliferation.

13 Dec 2019

Scientists develop an approach to vaccinate against gut inflammation

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an umbrella term that describes many disorders that involve chronic inflammation of the digestive tract, including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. These conditions are tied to certain alternations in the gut flora.

12 Dec 2019

Skip the sweet treats to avoid holiday blues, study suggests

If you're prone to depression, this holiday season you might want to say "bah humbug" to offers of sugar plum pudding, caramel corn and chocolate babka.

12 Dec 2019

Mount Sinai Kravis Children's Hospital receives new grant to support "Paws & Play" program

Mount Sinai Kravis Children's Hospital announced today that PetSmart Charities has offered a gift of $75,000 to extend the tenure of Professor Bunsen Honeydew the hospital's first of three facility dogs, through October 2020.

12 Dec 2019

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Cancer Care

Artificial intelligence (AI) is being tested in clinics around the world, but is it a realistic ambition to apply sophisticated algorithms to cancer care?

From IBM Watson 12 Dec 2019

New method reveals how microbial communities function in our bodies

In the last decade, scientists have made tremendous progress in understanding that groups of bacteria and viruses that naturally coexist throughout the human body play an important role in some vital functions like digestion, metabolism and even fighting off diseases. But understanding just how they do it remains a question.

11 Dec 2019

Immune cells repair damaged gut in children with IBD

According to a new study published in the journal Gastroenterology, immune cells of a certain kind which regulate inflammatory processes and even help restore normal gut function after inflammation could be of great use to treat children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

11 Dec 2019

New system enables real-time observations of individual cells in the colon

Biomedical engineers at Duke University have developed a system that allows for real-time observations of individual cells in the colon of a living mouse.

11 Dec 2019