In 1993, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) was linked to a genetic mutation in the SOD1 gene. It was a landmark discovery, as were others like it at the time linking neurological diseases to heritable, genetic sources. For example, APO-E, the gene linked to Alzheimer’s disease, was discovered in the same year and the gene for Parkinson’s disease just a few years later.
read moreRates of obesity are rising across the globe; a third of the world’s population is now overweight and nearly a fifth is obese. Public health policy has mainly focused on diet to reverse these rising rates, but the impact of these policies has been limited. The latest science suggests why this strategy is failing: one diet does not fit all. Dietary advice needs to be personalised.
read moreNearly half of all deaths worldwide in children under the age of 5 is from malnutrition. And those who manage to survive suffer long-term consequences, such as stunted growth and delays in neurodevelopment.
read moreThink about this: from the moment you are conceived until you are 1000 days old, your growth is exponential, faster than in any other period of life. For the first 9 months, you go from two cells to a newborn measuring 50cm in length and 3 kg weight. Then, between birth and 3 years of age, your body size doubles and your weight increasing your five-fold.
read moreScientists have now discovered that one type of bacteria that lives in the infant gastrointestinal tract can prevent the development of food allergies. The research, which showed that when the human gut is exposed to a group of five or six bacterial species it can reverse established allergies, has been reported in Nature Medicine.
read moreA small study found that a particular bacterium positively changed metabolic markers in "obese and overweight human volunteers".
read moreResearch in mice has shown how antibiotic use can leave the lungs susceptible to flu virus infections. The studies, headed by scientists at the Francis Crick Institute, found that gut bacteria play an important role in driving interferon (IFN) signaling in non-immune cells in the lung lining, which help to maintain a first line of defense against flu infection. So, while about 80% of mice with healthy gut microbiota survived when infected with flu virus, only about a third of animals survived the flu if they had been pretreated with antibiotics.
read moreThe study of elite athlete's gut bacteria showed that the bacterium Veillonella atypica could be associated with an increase in human/ exercise performance. An interesting find, illustrating that these marathon runners had the bacterium in common.
read more"Different temperament traits are connected with individual microbe genera, microbial diversity and different microbe clusters"? According to the FinnBrain research project, the answer is yes! There is a connection between personality and gut bacteria in the infants they studied.
read moreThere are alterations in the bacteria in the gastrointestinal tracts of people with fibromyalgia, report researchers.
read moreRecent studies have shown that assessing the genetic changes in fecal samples can accurately reflect the status of the gut microbiome, and may be useful for the early diagnosis of diseases.
read moreMicrobiome research has advanced considerably since the first results from the U.S. National Institutes of Health led Human Microbiome Project were released. One area of interest is the connection between our microorganisms and anxiety symptoms.
read moreCoffee alters our microbiomes? It seems independently of caffeine, coffee changes our microbes and increases gut motility. Cheers to new research!
read more“The microbiome of babies whose mothers are depressed during pregnancy is depleted of many important bacteria that may have beneficial effects for the infant’s well-being.”
read moreHealthy donor feces is a life-saving therapy, and the treatment provides huge cost savings -- fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) saves at least $1.2 million each time 50 patients are treated for Clostridioides difficile at a public hospital. These are the perspectives of the first observational study in the world to detail the process for the 50 patients who received FMY for Clostridioides difficile colitis in 2014 and 2015 as an alternative to antibiotics.
read moreAfter childhood, about two-thirds of the world’s human population loses the ability to digest milk. As far as we know, 100% of nonhuman mammals also lose this ability after weaning. The ongoing ability to digest lactose, the main sugar in milk, into adulthood is a biological abnormality.
read moreTransforming the microbial environment in the guts of children diagnosed with autism could significantly ease the severity of their condition's signature traits, according to newly published research.
read moreTypes of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and fungi have increased significantly in the past few years. C. auris is a type of fungus that is turning out to be deadly in some patients. The CDC believes the fugus was born in Asia due to the insatiable use of fungicides on crops. Very few have acknowledged the C. auris outbreak, but it seems to be another "superbug" added to the ever-growing list.
read moreStanford News illustrates the intricacies of the gut microbiome. Bacterial communities are highly individual from person to person. Which explains why some therapies may work for some but not for others.
read moreThe University of Colorado Boulder has found that as we age, the gut microbiota produces toxic molecules that we do not want! These can cause inflammation in our heart tissues. There is a relationship between our gut microbiota and our heart health, who would've known?
read more"What does a healthy microbiome have to do with cancer and recovery after treatment?" Dr. Alexander Khoruts and The University of Minnesota's Microbiota Therapeutics Program are spotlighted here; illustrating where the research is today and the life-changing potential for the future!
read moreThe Chinese Academy of Sciences published new research saying that gut bacteria is associated with how well we maintain our body temperatures. Mice were shown to have difficulty staying warm when their gut microbiomes were limited by antibiotic usage. Is gut bacteria to blame if you always run cold?
read moreThe Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is hyper-regulating FMT therapies and still trying to categorize the therapy as a drug. "A Poop Drug Cartel" "...The interests of investors may be exceeding those of patients" - Dr. Alexander Khoruts. "The concern is that corporate greed will get in the way of patient access" - Catherine Duff of the Fecal Transplant Foundation pleads.
read moreThe scientists and collaborators at Argonne National Laboratory have 'successfully established a correlation between GABA-producing bacteria and depression'. GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that slows down activity in our nervous systems. Looks like another potential link between emotional health and the microbiome!
read moreHere's a great list on all the revolutionary research on our gut microbiomes and its connection to our health! Big data is compiling as we speak, uncovering even more implications for FMT!
read moreRobert E. Wilkens was an active leader and dedicated advisor for Achieving Cures Together. Upon his passing last September, our organization, his friends, and his family were deeply saddened. Given his commitment to our mission, we felt compelled to honor him and created the Robert E. Wilkens award. Robert had a special intuition for spotting opportunities. He was very successful in his endeavors throughout life, and as a businessman, he had an unrivaled work ethic and a burning passion to learn. Most importantly however, Robert was a loving father and grandfather. He had a big heart for people and was determined and committed to progressing cures and alleviating suffering. He believed in Achieving Cures Together and was beyond generous with his time and treasure. Much of our early success can be attributed to his leadership and generosity. We will be forever grateful for his work as an advisor and supporter and we are humbled to present this award to exemplary members of our community. Grit and determination. Two words to describe Ashley Margarit as she crossed the finish line at the Twin Cities Marathon this past October. Not only did Ashley finish her first marathon on arguably one of the toughest race courses in the country, but she completed the marathon while battling a flare of Ulcerative Colitis. Her determination to finish the race and her commitment to Achieving Cures Together gives us the honor and privilege to recognize Ashley Margarit as the 1st recipient of the Robert E. Wilkens award. Congratulations Ashley, and thank you for your spirit of hard work and perseverance.
read moreThe body’s microbial community may influence the brain and behavior, perhaps even playing a role in dementia, autism and other disorders.
read more"What is a Fecal Transplant, and Why Would I Want One?" If you have questions about the procedure, this New York Times article may give you some answers!
read moreWhat's the best way to prepare a fecal microbiota transplantation? In attempts to keep all gut bacteria alive, a clinical trial was done in ulcerative colitis patients, using FMT prepared without the bacteria touching oxygen. This anaerobic (without oxygen) preparation seemed to be more effective for UC patients, according to Samuel P. Costello.
read moreClostridium difficile infection (CDI) is the most common hospital-acquired infection in the U.S., and has become a global public health issue. The infection can cause a range of gastrointestinal symptoms, which estimates suggest ultimately result in nearly 30,000 deaths every year in the U.S. alone. While the most significant risk factor for CDI is antibiotic treatment, studies in mice by a team at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine now provide new evidence that connects the use of common nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) with increased severity of CDI. Their results also point to the molecular mechanisms that underpin this link.
read more"Those bacteria are not there by chance..we have developed with them from the time we're born" - Joseph Murray, MD. So interesting to see a conversation about how microbes play a role in rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis (MS) and celiac disease.
read moreThe medication Accutane changes the skin's microbiome by reducing bad bacteria that causes acne. And, altering specific areas of our gut microbiome has been beneficial to those with gut issues! Which begs the question, is there a relationship between our skin and gut bacterial profiles?
read moreA new documentary film (due to be released early next year) looks at the effect of Fecal Microbiota Transplants (FMT) for a number of diseases including C. diff which has been shown to have a cure rate of 90%! Despite these amazing results, many medical professionals are still unaware of this treatment and its efficacy. Throughout the film, director Saffron Cassaday, who herself has suffered from ulcerative colitis for nearly a decade, interviews several leading researchers and medical experts, including those who are working on different methods for delivering this life-saving treatment. Her investigation takes her down a path she did not expect to travel and enlightens her on the power “poop” has to affect our health, happiness and possibly even our physical appearance. The goal of the film is to raise awareness of this medical breakthrough and the importance of maintaining a healthy gut microbiome in hopes that lives can be saved and the escalation of Super Bugs and Chronic Diseases can be curtailed. Although the film will not be released for several months you can follow the filmmakers and access information about FMT from their website www.designershitdocumentary.com.
read moreIf you're remotely connected to the world of wellness today, you've probably heard of the microbiome—the mini-ecosystem of microorganisms that make up the human body. In fact, over the last decade, the microbiome has become one of the trendiest areas of biology, and the research has made clear that the microbiome is fundamental to overall health. While the newfound cultural awareness is great, the focus is often misguided. Here’s the thing: the supplement industry has hijacked the conversation with it’s “pill for an ill” ethos.
read moreTwo new studies led by researchers at the University of Illinois have delivered the first clear evidence that the composition of gut bacteria can be changed by exercise alone. Designed to isolate the effects of exercise from other factors that could influence gut bacteria, these dual studies build on an increasing body of evidence affirming the role of exercise in determining the makeup of a person's gut microbiome.
read moreResearchers have singled out a bacterial enzyme behind an imbalance in the gut microbiome linked to Crohn's disease. The new study suggests that wiping out a significant portion of the bacteria in the gut microbiome, and then re-introducing a certain type of 'good' bacteria that lacks this enzyme, known as urease, may be an effective approach to better treat these diseases.
read moreInflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an autoimmune condition where, in most cases, there are multiple triggers stimulating the immune system in multiple ways over a long period of time.
read moreTransplants of faecal matter have done wonders for the treatment of certain gastrointestinal infections. Will they ever work for inflammatory bowel disease?
read moreWatch bacteria evolve to develop resistance to increasingly higher doses of antibiotics in just 12 days.
read moreA fecal transplant is exactly what it sounds like: To treat certain gut disorders, doctors transfer stool from a healthy donor to a sick patient. Just a few years ago, only a few doctors turned to fecal transplants, typically as a last resort. But in randomized trials, the procedure has proved remarkably effective against potentially fatal infections of bacteria known as Clostridioides difficile.
read moreStudies have found that a diet high in fat, a common risk factor of obesity, can trigger widespread disruptions to the microbial environment, or microbiota, in test animals like mice and zebrafish. Others, meanwhile, have showed that this link works both ways: When scientists transplanted gut bacteria from a group of healthy mice into a group of mice engineered to have no bacteria whatsoever, the lean germ-free mice became fatter. This same effect was seen even when the gut bacteria from obese people was transplanted into these mice.
read moreIt is widely known that fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is effective for the treatment of recurring Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) infection, but new research supports the procedure’s efficacy for helping patients with ulcerative colitis (UC).
read more(CNN) A 49-year-old Pennsylvania woman showed the presence of a rare kind of E. coli infection, the first known case of its kind in the United States. It is a superbug that is resistant to many antibiotics, even Colistin, which doctors use as a last resort when other antibiotics fail.
read moreA team of investigators at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) has found evidence that suggests that bacteria living in the gut may remotely influence the activity of cells in the brain that are involved in controlling inflammation and neurodegeneration.
read moreThis is a very informative and interesting video presented by Dr. Alexander Khoruts, MD, of the University of Minnesota Microbiota Therapeutics Program. He addresses the relationship humans have with our microbial communities and how our diet and antibiotic usage have affected our microbial composition. The decrease in our microbial diversity could have huge ramifications, and he is actively pursuing innovative research to address this problem. This video was published by the University of Minnesota.
read moreDrug resistant infections will kill an extra 10 million people a year worldwide - more than currently die from cancer - by 2050 unless action is taken, a study says.
read moreNothing could keep Gopher linebacker Peter Westerhaus off the football field. Well, almost nothing. Minnesota’s Mr. Football 2010, who as a kid slept in a helmet while cradling a football, had an unrivaled passion and work ethic. But in 2013, a brutal case of ulcerative colitis took him away from the game he loved.
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