Babies born by Cesarean section (C-section) are not always exposed to bacteria and other microbes present in the birth canals of their mothers—a factor that some studies have associated with health risks later in life. Now, researchers present preliminary data indicating that microbial communities could be at least partly restored
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Specific groups of intestinal microbes can boost the anti-tumor effects of cancer immunotherapies in mice, researchers show. Cancer immunotherapies that block immune inhibitory pathways have been tested in patients with several tumor types, but responses have varied. A study published in Science, while not the first to link gut microbes
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The digestion of food and absorption of nutrients is the principal role of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract—everyone wants to know what we should eat and how it affects our body. Interactions between food and the immune system affect our microbiome, development of food allergies, nutrition, risk for inflammatory disorders or cancer, and even
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Food additives commonly used to thicken and stabilize processed foods disrupt the intestinal microbiota to cause inflammation, researchers found in a study of mice. Emulsifiers are added to foods to hold together mixtures of fat and water, which would otherwise separate. Healthy mice fed a diet containing commonly used emulsifiers (1%
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A probiotic solution significantly reduced the risk of hospitalization for hepatic encephalopathy and markers of liver disease severity in patients with cirrhosis, researchers report in the December issue of Gastroenterology. Hepatic encephalopathy develops in 50%–70% of patients with cirrhosis; fewer than 50% of these patients survive for 1 year. Rifaximin and
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The intestine contains a radial gradient of microbes that changes with the distribution of oxygen and nutrients, researchers report in the November issue of Gastroenterology. Further study of this distribution could provide information about activities of the microbiota in the healthy and inflamed intestine. The bacteria of the intestinal live in
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Gastroenterology is proud to present a special issue devoted to ‘The Gut Microbiome in Health and Disease’. The human body contains over 10 times more microbial cells than human cells. This microbiome (the commensal, symbiotic, and pathogenic microorganisms that share our body space) maintains the health and function of many
Read moreRifaximin alters the intestinal microbiota to prevent inflammation and visceral hyperalgesia in stressed rats, according to the February issue of Gastroenterology. These findings could explain the ability of this antibiotic to relieve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in patients. Rifaximin is a broad-spectrum antibiotic that has been approved by
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Dr. Kristine Novak is the science editor for Gastroenterology and Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. She has worked as an editor at biomedical research journals and as a science writer for 15 years, covering advances in gastroenterology, hepatology, cancer, immunology, biotechnology, molecular genetics, and clinical trials. She has a PhD in cell biology and an interest in all areas of medical research.
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