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Beetroot juice lowers blood pressure in older adults by reshaping oral bacteria

Dietary nitrate from beetroot juice lowered blood pressure in older adults but not in younger participants in a double-blind crossover trial. The effect was linked to oral microbiome changes, including reduced Prevotella and higher plasma nitrite, without improvements in endothelial function

2 Sep 2025

Study finds links between human genetic variation, gut mycobiome, and chronic disease risk

Clinicians' ability to diagnose and treat chronic diseases is limited by scientific uncertainty around factors contributing to disease risk. A study published September 2nd in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Drs. Emily Van Syoc, Emily Davenport, and Seth Bordenstein at The Pennsylvania State University, United States, uncovers evidence of the first ternary relationships between human genetic variation, variation in gut mycobiome, and risk of developing chronic disease.

2 Sep 2025

Generative AI creates life-saving antibiotics from scratch

What if generative AI could design life-saving antibiotics, not just art and text? In a new Cell Biomaterials paper, Penn researchers introduce AMP-Diffusion, a generative AI tool used to create tens of thousands of new antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) - short strings of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins - with bacteria-killing potential.

2 Sep 2025

Study reveals how dormant E. coli bacteria survive antibiotics

A groundbreaking study by researchers from Wuhan University, York University (UK), and Peking University has uncovered how Escherichia coli (E. coli) persister bacteria survive antibiotics by protecting their genetic instructions.

2 Sep 2025

Breakthrough reveals how viruses efficiently pack genetic material

Researchers at San Diego State University and Michigan State University are shedding new light on how viruses meticulously pack their genetic material - a breakthrough that could help researchers engineer antivirals and gene therapies.

2 Sep 2025

Research reveals molecular details of ME/CFS and long COVID

Patients with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS) have heightened innate immune responses to bacteria, viruses, and fungi. While these responses are essential to fight infection, they can cause damage when unchecked.

1 Sep 2025

Select groups of myocardial infarction patients benefit from Helicobacter pylori screening

Not all acute myocardial infarction patients should be offered routine screening for the stomach ulcer bacterium Helicobacter pylori.

1 Sep 2025

Can oral bacteria make heart disease worse?

The presence of viridans streptococci in coronary plaques indicates a role in atherosclerosis, potentially influencing heart disease outcomes.

1 Sep 2025

Babies fed blueberries show fewer allergy symptoms and boosted immune balance

Daily blueberry powder given to infants during complementary feeding modestly influenced allergic symptom resolution and shaped immune biomarker–microbiota associations. Findings suggest early diet may play a role in immune development, though results are preliminary and exploratory.

31 Aug 2025

Alzheimer’s research uncovers a new therapeutic pathway for the memory-robbing malady

The gut contains the largest collection of immune cells in the body. New research at the Buck Institute shows that some of those immune cells travel along the brain/gut axis in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (AD) providing a potential new therapeutic pathway for the memory-robbing malady.

29 Aug 2025

Researchers identify genetic toolkit to reprogram cells into immune sentinels

An international team led by researchers at Lund University in Sweden has identified the molecular tools needed to reprogram ordinary cells into specialized immune cells.

29 Aug 2025

How do common painkillers drive stronger E. coli resistance?

Research shows that non-antibiotic medications like ibuprofen can enhance E. coli mutations, raising concerns about antimicrobial resistance in older adults.

29 Aug 2025

Healthy gut bacteria capsules show long-term benefits for obese teenagers

Can a capsule of healthy gut bugs change the future of obesity treatment? New findings from the University of Auckland’s Liggins Institute suggest it might.

29 Aug 2025

Cellular purging process may help injured cells revert to stem cell-like state more rapidly

Now, a new study in mice led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the Baylor College of Medicine reveals a previously unknown cellular purging process that may help injured cells revert to a stem cell-like state more rapidly.

29 Aug 2025