News
‘Good’ bacteria show promise for clinical treatment of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis
A new study published in Nature Communications demonstrates that a consortium of bacteria designed to complement missing or underrepresented functions in the imbalanced microbiome of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients, prevented and treated chronic immune-mediated colitis in humanized mouse models. The study’s senior author, Balfour Sartor, MD, Midget Distinguished Professor of Medicine, Microbiology and Immunology, Co-Director of the UNC Multidisciplinary […]
Research
A gut feeling
By Jen A. Miller We are truly never alone, not even within our own bodies. Human beings play host to trillions of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other microorganisms that make up the human microbiome. In recent years, the mix of these resident bacteria, and the presence of specific bacterial species, has been linked to conditions ranging […]
News
What 2,000-year-old poo says about our gut bugs
By science reporter Gemma Conroy Many of us spend more time sitting than moving, and we are more likely to reach for a highly processed snack than a stick of celery. And it turns out our poo has also changed. A new study has found that our gut bugs are vastly different from those that inhabited our hunter-gatherer […]
Research
Wisdom, loneliness and your intestinal multitude
By Scott LaFee. The evolving science of wisdom rests on the idea that wisdom’s defined traits correspond to distinct regions of the brain, and that greater wisdom translates into greater happiness and life satisfaction while being less wise results in opposite, negative consequences. Scientists have found in multiple studies that persons deemed to be wiser are less prone […]
Research
The gut microbiota and inflammation: An overview
Abstract The gut microbiota encompasses a diverse community of bacteria that carry out various functions influencing the overall health of the host. These comprise nutrient metabolism, immune system regulation and natural defence against infection. The presence of certain bacteria is associated with inflammatory molecules that may bring about inflammation in various body tissues. Inflammation underlies […]
Research
Towards a toolbox for à la carte editing of the human microbiome
By Gabriel Filsinger and Benjamin Boettner The number of bacterial cells inside each person is approximately equal to the number of human cells in the body. Interestingly, how these bacteria contribute to our health or to disease is still largely a mystery. Research on the human microbiome, the bacterial collective inhabiting our gut and other […]
Blog
Why spending time around other living things positively affects your health
By Markham Heid. How our environments rub off on us, sometimes literally Since 1989, when an American immunologist named David Strachan first introduced it, the “hygiene hypothesis” has gained attention and momentum. In its original form, the hypothesis held that early childhood exposure to germs — meaning infection- or illness-causing microbes — could protect people from […]
News
Gut microbiota reveals whether drug therapies work in inflammatory bowel diseases
The prevalence of inflammatory bowel diseases has significantly increased both in Finland and globally. These disorders cannot be entirely cured. Instead, they are treated with anti-inflammatory drugs and, at times, through surgery. If conventional drug therapies based on anti-inflammatory drugs are ineffective, the diseases can be treated using infliximab, a biological TNF-α blocker that is […]
Latest Articles
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News‘Good’ bacteria show promise for clinical treatment of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis
Balfour Sartor, MD, Midget Distinguished Professor of Medicine, Microbiology and Immunology, is the senior author of a study that shows how a novel consortium of bacteria that live in the digestive tracts of healthy individuals can be used to prevent and treat aggressive colitis in humanized mouse models. -
NewsFlushing the stigma around inflammatory bowel disease
On Mornings with Rebecca Levingston. -
Personal StoryEmbarrassment over illness led to blood transfusions and urgent surgery
John Davidson is using his own experiences to raise awareness of ulcerative colitis.
