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Discovery in C. difficile biology opens new window to developing treatments for dangerous infections

A process called sporulation that helps the dangerous bacterium Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) to survive inhospitable conditions and spread is regulated by epigenetics, factors that affect gene expression beyond the DNA genetic code, researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai report.

25 Nov 2019

Researchers turn to older treatment methods for new health challenges

The last thing anyone wants during a stay in the hospital is a hospital-acquired infection. Nosocomial infections, as they are called, are on the rise as more pathogens become resistant to drugs currently available.

21 Nov 2019

Caution: blood infections traced to probiotics

Probiotics aren’t harmless, says a new study published on November 7, 2019 in the journal Nature Medicine. In fact, some patients may be put at serious risk by the bacteria in probiotics. Doctors should weigh the risks of probiotics in severely ill or immunocompromised patients before prescribing them, as their benefits may be significantly smaller than the danger in such situations.

13 Nov 2019

Antibiotic treatment can cause transient and long-term disruption of gut microbes

Trillions of microbes in the intestine aid human health, including digestion of breast milk, breaking down fiber and helping control the immune system.

22 Oct 2019

UA researcher focuses on preventing health-care-associated infections

On any given day in the United States, about 1 in 31 hospital patients has at least one health-care-associated infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

16 Oct 2019

Compound in human breast milk inhibits growth of pathogenic bacteria

Researchers at National Jewish Health and the University of Iowa have identified a compound in human breast milk that fights infections by harmful bacteria while allowing beneficial bacteria to thrive.

10 Oct 2019

Researchers identify an immune cell that helps keep time in the gut

As people go through their daily and nightly routines, their digestive tracts follow a routine, too: digesting food and absorbing nutrients during waking hours, and replenishing worn-out cells during sleep. Shift work and jet lag can knock sleep schedules and digestive rhythms out of whack.

4 Oct 2019

Gut bacterial profile can predict gut damage following radiotherapy

Rather like a physical fingerprint, the gut microbial pattern can be used to identify certain vulnerabilities in patients who are undergoing radiation therapy for prostate or gynecologic cancer, predicting which of them are most likely to suffer damage to the intestine.

3 Oct 2019

Study: Whole genome sequencing can improve surveillance, control of gastroenteritis

A new study into one of the UK's leading causes of gastroenteritis has shown how whole genome sequencing can improve its surveillance and control of the disease.

25 Sep 2019

Gut microbiome and IBD – the connection maybe in diet says study

A new study has shown conclusive evidence that inflammatory bowel disease or IBD is intimately associated with the gut microbial environment which can be altered with prescription diet. The microbiome within the human gut is a collection of healthy and helpful bacteria that help in several functions of the body including development and maintenance of immunity.

10 Sep 2019

Gut microbiome could be used to predict individual's risk of bowel cancer

The makeup of the bacterial community that lives in the gut has been identified as a risk factor for bowel cancer.

10 Sep 2019

It’s safe to feed raw food to pets, finds new study

A large multinational study shows that pet owners don’t think feeding raw food increases the risk of infection to household members. Raw food includes all uncooked meat and other parts of a dead animal. In fact, an infection in humans could be traced to raw pet food in just 0.24% of all surveyed households.

9 Sep 2019

Raw pet food not considered as significant source of infections

An extensive international survey conducted at the University of Helsinki indicates that pet owners do not consider raw food to considerably increase infection risk in their household.

7 Sep 2019

Move to single-patient rooms reduced rates of hospital-acquired infections

The move to single-patient rooms at the McGill University Health Centre's Glen site in 2015 resulted in significantly reduced rates of hospital-acquired infections, suggests a study published today in the highly respected journal JAMA: Internal Medicine published by the American Medical Association.

21 Aug 2019

Study explores if fecal transplants can improve outcomes in melanoma patients

A multidisciplinary team at Lawson Health Research Institute is exploring whether fecal transplants can improve outcomes in melanoma patients treated with immunotherapy.

19 Aug 2019

A newly-emerging species of C. difficile highly adapted to spread in hospitals

Scientists have discovered that the gut-infecting bacterium Clostridium difficile is evolving into two separate species, with one group highly adapted to spread in hospitals.

12 Aug 2019

Removing bacterial armor could be new way to fight anthrax

A new study led by Dr. Antonella Fioravanti in the lab of Prof. Han Remaut (VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology) has shown that removing the armor of the bacterium that causes anthrax slows its growth and negatively affects its ability to cause disease.

16 Jul 2019