knowbiome

[knowbiome]

Scientist Martin Blaser argues that we are suffering from new wave of 'modern plagues' because we have destroyed the naturally occurring bacteria in our bodies

#microbiome #snippets

[knowbiome]

CONCLUSIONS: Dietary MRP are able to modulate in vivo the intestinal microbiota composition both in humans and in rats, and the specific effects are likely to be linked to the chemical structure and dietary amounts of the different browning compounds. (Maillard reaction products are the tasty parts of food when you brown things)

Maillard reaction products modulate gut microbiota composition in adolescents.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24867162?dopt=Abstract

#microbiome #snippets #nutrition #diet

[knowbiome]

RESULTS: Fifthy-two patients were included into the study. Intragroup analysis showed a significant reduction of the bloating, discomfort and pain in Colinox® group (CG) compared to placebo group (PG). Between group analysis confirmed, at T1-T3, significant differences between CG and PG in bloating and discomfort. DISCUSSION: Simethicone is an inert antifoaming able to reduce bloating, abdominal discomfort. Literature offers increasing evidence linking alterations in the gastrointestinal microbiota and IBS and it is well known that probiotics are important to restore the native gut microbiota. The Colinox medical device is specifically targeted against most intrusive symptom of IBS (bloating) and it is also able to counteract the most accredited ethiopathogenetic factor in IBS (alterations of intestinal microbiota). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial demonstrating the efficacy and safety of a combination of simethicone and Bacillus coagulans in treatment of IBS.

A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial on efficacy and safety of association of simethicone and Bacillus coagulans (Colinox®) in patients with irritable bowel syndrome.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24867512?dopt=Abstract

#ibs #irritable bowel disease #microbiome #snippets #new drugs

[knowbiome]

Usually the genetics of human longevity is restricted to the nuclear genome (nDNA). However it is well known that the nDNA interacts with a physically and functionally separated genome, the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) that, even if limited in length and number of genes encoded, plays a major role in the ageing process. The complex interplay between nDNA/mtDNA and the environment is most likely involved in phenomena such as ageing and longevity. To this scenario we have to add another level of complexity represented by the microbiota, that is, the whole set of bacteria present in the different part of our body with their whole set of genes. In particular, several studies investigated the role of gut microbiota (GM) modifications in ageing and longevity and an age-related GM signature was found. In this view, human being must be considered as "metaorganism" and a more holistic approach is necessary to grasp the complex dynamics of the interaction between the environment and nDNA-mtDNA-GM of the host during ageing. In this review, the relationship between the three genetics and human longevity is addressed to point out that a comprehensive view will allow the researchers to properly address the complex interactions that occur during human lifespan.

The Three Genetics (Nuclear DNA, Mitochondrial DNA, and Gut Microbiome) of Longevity in Humans Considered as Metaorganisms.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24868529?dopt=Abstract

#longevity #gerontology #microbiome #snippets

[knowbiome]

Analysing bacterial and viral DNA can help doctors to pick effective drugs quickly, says Sharon Peacock.

#microbiome

[knowbiome]

Human Microbiome Science: Vision for the Future

Presentation by Eric Brown 

Lab of Dr. B. Brett Finlay 

Dept. of Microbiology and Immunology 

Michael Smith Laboratories 

University of British Columbia 

Vancouver, BC Canada 

#microbiome #vaccines

[knowbiome]

Circumcision and sexual activity are but two factors that can influence the bacterial communities that inhabit male genitalia.

#microbiome #penis

[knowbiome]

The mammalian microbiota plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of many diseases. Thanks to recent advances in metagenomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, microbiome composition and metabolic activity can now be studied in detail. Results obtained by such fascinating and provocative studies would be meaningless without considering the perspective of the whole organism. Our work using gnotobiology as the major tool to unravel the mechanisms of host-microbe interaction has demonstrated the crucial role of microbiota in the initiation and progression of inflammation-associated colorectal neoplasia. Carcinogenesis in the gut is driven by the presence of potentially harmful microbes or by lack of protective ones, by the production of carcinogens generated by microbes, and by the induction of inflammation and modulation of the immune system. Here, we review these mechanisms with special emphasis on those where gnotobiology has yielded important insights.

Microbiome and colorectal carcinoma: insights from germ-free and conventional animal models.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24855011

#colon cancer #colorectal carcinoma #microbiome #snippets #gnotobiotic models

[knowbiome]

Inflammation has long been suspected to play a major role in the pathogenesis of cancer. Only recently, however, have some mechanisms of its tumor promoting effects become known. Microbes, both commensal and pathogenic, are critical regulators of the host immune system and, ultimately, of inflammation. Consequently, microbes have the potential power to influence tumor progression as well, through a wide variety of routes, including chronic activation of inflammation, alteration of tumor microenvironment, induction of genotoxic responses, and metabolism. In this review, we will provide a general overview of commensal microbiota, inflammation, and cancer, as well as how microbes fit into this emerging field.

Microbiome, inflammation, and cancer.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24855005

#snippets #microbiome #Cancer

[knowbiome]

Only 30% of patients with a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer survive 1 year after the diagnosis. Progress in understanding the causes of pancreatic cancer has been made, including solidifying the associations with obesity and diabetes, and a proportion of cases should be preventable through lifestyle modifications. Unfortunately, identifying reliable biomarkers of early pancreatic cancer has been extremely challenging, and no effective screening modality is currently available for this devastating form of cancer. Recent data suggest that the microbiota may play a role in the disease process, but many questions remain. Future studies focusing on the human microbiome, both etiologically and as a marker of disease susceptibility, should shed light on how to better tackle prevention, early detection, and treatment of this highly fatal disease.

Microbiota, oral microbiome, and pancreatic cancer.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24855008

#pancreatic cancer #microbiome #snippets

[knowbiome]

The intestinal microbiota and gut immune system must communicate to maintain a balance between tolerance and activation. Our immune system protects us from pathogenic microbes at the same time that our bodies are host to trillions of microbes, symbionts, mutualists, and some that are essential to human health. Since there is such a close interaction between the immune system and the intestinal microbiota, it is not surprising that some lymphomas such as mucosal-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma have been shown to be caused by the presence of certain bacteria. Animal models have played an important role in elucidating the causation and establishing the mechanism of bacteria-induced mucosal-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma. In this review, we discuss different ways that animal models have been applied to investigate links between the gut microbiota and lymphoma and have helped to reveal the mechanisms of microbiota-induced lymphoma. Although there is a paucity of published studies demonstrating the interplay between the microbiota and lymphoma development, we believe that the connection is real and that it can be exploited in the future to enhance our understanding of causation and to improve the prognosis and treatment of lymphoma.

Intestinal microbiome and lymphoma development.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24855006

#microbiome #snippets #lymphoma

[knowbiome]

Cancer of the stomach is the fourth most common cancer worldwide. The single strongest risk factor for gastric cancer is Helicobacter pylori-associated chronic gastric inflammation. Among persons with H. pylori infection, strain-specific components, host immune responses, and environmental factors influence the risk for gastric disease, including adenocarcinoma of the stomach, although only a small proportion of infected persons develop the malignancy. Recent advances in DNA sequencing technology have uncovered a complex community of noncultivatable inhabitants of the human stomach. The interaction between these inhabitants, collectively referred to as the gastric microbiota, and H. pylori likely affects gastric immunobiology and possibly the sequelae of H. pylori infection. Thus, characterization of the gastric microbiota in subjects with and without H. pylori infection could provide new insight into gastric homeostasis and the pathogenesis of H. pylori-associated disease, including gastric cancer.

Gastric microbiome and gastric cancer.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24855010

#snippets #microbiome #gastric cancer

[knowbiome]

"Our research uncovers a promising connection between the microbiome and cancer that is controlled by alterations in bioelectric signaling and also opens up exciting possibilities for biomedicine. Imagine bacteria that are metabolically programmed to produce butyrate levels appropriate to prevent tumors," said Levin.

Cancer, bioelectrical signals and the microbiome connected

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-05/tu-cbs052714.php

#Cancer #microbiome #snippets

[knowbiome]

The best predictor of our lifelong health may well be the bacteria that live within us. Specifically, the trillions of microbes that colonize our bodies from childhood on, and outnumber our own cells 10-to-1. Autism, allergies, asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes and obesity are just a few of the conditions now thought to be at least partly tied to the health of our microbial partners, which are integral to human processes such as digestion, neural and hormonal signaling and guarding against toxic chemicals. Several modern practices, already under increased scrutiny due to the proliferation of antibiotic-resistant superbugs, are the likely culprits: cesarean sections, formula feeding, antibiotics taken during pregnancy, antibiotics prescribed to young children, antibiotics fed to the animals we eat, antimicrobial products and the widespread use of industrial chemicals.

The Stomach Bacteria That Could Prolong Your Life

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/21/microbes-children-health_n_5366066.html

#longevity #snippets #microbiome

[knowbiome]

The ultimate goal is to create a microbe that can detect and treat an intestinal disorder that has been linked to obesity and depression. There is something that researchers are calling the gut-brain axis. We think this happens via the vagus nerve, which connects your intestine to your brain. A recent study shows that the microbes inside your large intestine are sending signals to your brain, which affects anxiety and related behaviors. The researchers did an experiment with mice where they removed the vagus nerve, and the gut microbiome no longer affected the brain. We want to deliver a genetically engineered probiotic that can detect the early molecular signatures of a disrupted gut microbiome. Then, when that signature is detected, our bacteria will produce a battery of different compounds that prevents the changes in the intestine that lead to obesity and anxiety.

Bioengineer is working to make E. coli fight obesity, depression

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-sci-microbiome-navy-20140524-story.html#page=1

#depression #obesity #microbiome #snippets

[knowbiome]

The Center for Individualized Medicine is collaborating with Whole Biome to accelerate the development of novel diagnostics that characterize the microbiome. Whole Biome utilizes sample preparation techniques and specialized analytics that integrate high throughput and long read-length DNA sequencing data to generate high-accuracy microbiome profiles that enable the identification of relevant changes.

Joint Development of Microbiome Diagnostic Testing to Focus on Women’s Health and Preterm Labor

http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php/news/health/8885-joint-development-of-microbiome-diagnostic-testing-to-focus-on-women-s-health-and-preterm-labor.html

#snippets #microbiome #premature birth #preterm labor

[knowbiome]

Results compared the microbes on the hands of women in the U.S. and Tanzania and found that organisms that have commonly been identified in prior human skin microbiome studies were highly abundant on U.S. hands, while the most abundant bacterial species on Tanzanian hands were associated with the environment, particularly soil. The predominant microbial groups found on the U.S. hands included members of the Propionibacteriaceae, Staphylococcaceae and Streptococcacease groups of bacteria, similar to those previously found in hand microbiome studies. In contrast, the Tanzanian samples included members of the Rhodobacteraceae and Nocardiodaceae not previously thought to be common colonizers of human skin. These groups are commonly associated with soil and aquatic environments.

Study Demonstrates Diversity of Human Hand Microbiomes

#microbiome #snippets