Microbiome News and Research

Latest Microbiome News and Research

Living in rural households lowers person's risk of developing IBD, study finds

Living in rural households decreases a person's risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), particularly for young children and adolescents, according to a new study by researchers at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, and the Canadian Gastro-Intestinal Epidemiology Consortium.

25 Jul 2017

Scientists find hints to a 'ghost' species of archaic humans in saliva

In saliva, scientists have found hints that a "ghost" species of archaic humans may have contributed genetic material to ancestors of people living in Sub-Saharan Africa today.

21 Jul 2017

Testing treatments using pig model may help minimize drug failure rates for chronic conditions

Scientists may be able to minimize the failure rate of drugs for diseases linked to high-calorie diets, such as colon cancer and type 2 diabetes, if they test treatments using a pig model, according to an international team of researchers.

21 Jul 2017

Cohabitating couples influence microbial communities on each other's skin

Couples who live together share many things: Bedrooms, bathrooms, food, and even bacteria. After analyzing skin microbiomes from cohabitating couples, microbial ecologists at the University of Waterloo, in Canada, found that people who live together significantly influence the microbial communities on each other's skin.

19 Jul 2017

COPD can result in structural changes that affect the lung and microbiome

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can result in structural changes within the lungs over time.

14 Jul 2017

Diabetes-induced changes in oral microbiome promote periodontal bone loss

A new study led by University of Pennsylvania researchers has found that the oral microbiome is affected by diabetes, causing a shift to increase its pathogenicity.

12 Jul 2017

Ocular microbiome trains developing immune system to ward off pathogens, study shows

Bugs in your eyes may be a good thing. Resident microbes living on the eye are essential for immune responses that protect the eye from infection, new research shows.

11 Jul 2017

Antibiotic use during peripartum period linked to greater risk of inflammatory condition in offspring

A study by researchers at the University of Chicago Medicine shows that when mice that are genetically susceptible to developing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) were given antibiotics during late pregnancy and the early nursing period, their offspring were more likely to develop an inflammatory condition of the colon that resembles human IBD.

11 Jul 2017

Women and men with bipolar disorder may have different immune markers

Men and women react differently to compounds associated with immune system response to bipolar disorder, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.

11 Jul 2017

Carbohydrate found in cranberries may aid growth of beneficial gut bacteria, study reports

Many scientists are paying new attention to prebiotics, that is, molecules we eat but cannot digest, because some may promote the growth and health of beneficial microorganisms in our intestines, says nutritional microbiologist David Sela at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

10 Jul 2017

Potentially harmful nanoparticles found to be present in infant formula products

The study commissioned by Friends of the Earth (FoE) has found that six out of six infant formula samples tested contained nanoparticles, which are believed by FoE to be harmful. However the potential health risks of nanoparticles are disputed by others, who claim there is insufficient evidence to support this.

3 Jul 2017

Researchers discover biological link between gut bacteria metabolism and obesity

Cleveland Clinic researchers have uncovered a biological link between gut bacteria metabolism and obesity.

30 Jun 2017

Ondek raises capital to develop new treatment for childhood allergy

Ondek, the Australian biotechnology company founded by Nobel Laureate Professor Barry Marshall, today announced it raised A$3.59 million in equity funding from professional and high-net-worth investors to support his work to develop a new treatment for childhood allergy.

30 Jun 2017

Scientists identify link between gut microbiota and mood, behavior

Researchers have identified gut microbiota that interact with brain regions associated with mood and behavior. This may be the first time that behavioral and neurobiological differences associated with microbial composition in healthy humans have been identified.

29 Jun 2017

Scientists investigate genetics of windborne bacteria arriving along with dust

Israel is subjected to sand and dust storms from several directions: northeast from the Sahara, northwest from Saudi Arabia and southwest from the desert regions of Syria. The airborne dust carried in these storms affects the health of people and ecosystems alike.

28 Jun 2017

Human colon organoids fill gap in effectively modeling common GI diseases

Scientists used human pluripotent stem cells to generate human embryonic colons in a laboratory that function much like natural human tissues when transplanted into mice, according to research published June 22 in Cell Stem Cell.

22 Jun 2017

Study shows how high fat diets can alter gut bacteria to combat harmful inflammation

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have shown a high fat diet may lead to specific changes in gut bacteria that could fight harmful inflammation--a major discovery for patients suffering from Crohn's disease.

22 Jun 2017

Microscopic fungus exacerbates Crohn's disease symptoms, mice study shows

A microscopic fungus called Candida tropicalis triggered gut inflammation and exacerbated symptoms of Crohn's disease, in a recent study conducted at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

22 Jun 2017

Gut bacteria play key role in regulating abdominal pain, mice study finds

Scientists at the Science Foundation Ireland-funded APC Microbiome Institute at University College Cork, Ireland, have shown that, at least in mice, gut bacteria play a key role in regulating abdominal pain and its associated changes in the brain and spinal cord.

21 Jun 2017

Infections during infancy linked to greater risk for celiac disease

Infections during infancy are associated with increased risk for gluten intolerance (celiac disease) later on. Apparently the risk is particularly high in the case of repeated gastrointestinal infections in the first year of life.

20 Jun 2017