gut

Toxic substances leaking out from the gut can interfere with the functioning of fat cells and drive obesity, according to a recent study by a team of international researchers. The results could inform how we treat excessive and dangerous weight gain in the future.The substances, called endotoxins, are fragments of bacteria in our guts. While they're a normal part of the digestive tract's ecosystem, the microbial debris can cause significant damage to the body should they find their way into the bloodstream.Here, the…

When it comes to slowing aging in humans, telomeres have long been a tempting target. These complex, repetitive sequences of DNA that cap the ends of chromosomes tick away the years by shortening each time a cell divides, eventually causing the cell to die. The jury’s still out about whether reversing this shortening could be a molecular fountain of youth, but a new study in zebrafish is encouraging. When researchers lengthened telomeres in the gut cells of these…

Gut health refers to the overall well-being of the digestive system, including the stomach and intestines. A healthy gut is essential for the proper absorption of nutrients, the elimination of waste, and the maintenance of a balanced microbiome.Brigham researchers studying how and why certain cell types proliferate in the gut found that xanthine, which is found in coffee, tea and chocolate, may play a role in Th17 differentiationInsights may help investigators better understand gut health and the development of conditions…

In order to see what's going on in someone's digestive tract, doctors typically analyze stool samples obtained from that person. A new swallowable capsule, however, is claimed to paint a much more accurate picture of an individual's gut health.Known as the CapScan, the device is being developed by scientists from the University of California - Davis, Stanford University, and San Francisco-based startup Envivo Bio Inc. According to the researchers, the bacteria, proteins and other substances found in stool samples are…

A new study has found that a species of gut bacteria cause the destructive nerve cell ‘clumps’ that are a hallmark of Parkinson’s disease. The discovery opens the door to the development of targeted treatments for this debilitating disease.More than 10 million people worldwide live with Parkinson’s disease (PD), an incurable neurodegenerative disorder characterized by tremors, muscle stiffness, hindered movement, and impaired balance and coordination.When the protein alpha-synuclein (alpha-syn), predominantly found in…

Significant changes in the gut microbiota occur in the earliest stages of Parkinson's disease, and a new study shows these can start before the onset of symptoms.Narrowing down the culprits in our gut bacteria may lead to earlier diagnosis and also aid in developing targeted treatments for the debilitating disorder.Researchers from China and Germany looked at the bacteria in the guts of people with early Parkinson's disease, people with REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD), their close relatives, and healthy people.Similar…

The healing powers of poop can now officially come in a more palatable pill. This week, the Food and Drug Administration approved the drug Vowst, an oral capsule packed with beneficial bacteria derived from human fecal matter. The drug is intended to treat recurrent infections of Clostridioides difficile by balancing out the gut microbiome.Won’t Virtual Reality Make Me Sick?While certain bacteria and other microorganisms regularly make us sick, our bodies are filled with many more species that are either harmless or even…

Antimicrobial resistance occurs when pathogens such as bacteria develop the ability to resist the drugs designed to kill them. Now, UK researchers have uncovered the mechanism underpinning antibiotic resistance and hope the knowledge might be exploited to develop new drug therapies.The misuse and overuse of antibiotics have contributed to the development of drug-resistant bacteria. Antibiotic resistance is a serious public health problem, increasing the likelihood that bacteria will spread from person to person more…

By European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases April 22, 2023Researchers have identified protective drugs that can minimize the negative impact of antibiotics on the gut microbiome without affecting their ability to fight harmful bacteria. The study found that certain antibiotics can have long-lasting negative effects on gut bacteria, but combining them with drugs such as anticoagulants and anti-inflammatory medications can protect gut bacteria without compromising the antibiotics’…

Despite no end of displeasure and disgust – from a petition put to (and rejected by) UK parliament in 2021 to make warnings obligatory, to a “coalition” of film and television viewers making a stand against the stomach-churning trend – there is no sign the flood of vomit currently sweeping cinema is set to be staunched.The dam was first burst in 1973, with The Exorcist’s tide of pea soup. Since then, the trope of copious projectile vomiting in cinema has spread contagiously, finding itself in a reliably constant spew of…