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Intermittent fasting may dampen inflammatory responses in the gums

New research presented today at EuroPerio11, the world's leading congress in periodontology and implant dentistry by the European Federation of Periodontology (EFP), suggests that intermittent fasting could help reduce inflammation in the gums and improve certain health markers, even when oral hygiene is temporarily neglected.

12 May 2025

Researchers find 8,500 tonnes of antibiotics enter rivers every year

A global study led by McGill University estimates that 8,500 tonnes of antibiotics enter river systems annually, mostly from human use—even after wastewater treatment. The findings warn that chronic exposure poses risks to aquatic life and fuels antibiotic resistance, especially in regions with poor sanitation.

10 May 2025

Unlocking the mechanism behind marine bacterium’s ability to clean up oil spills

The marine bacterium Alcanivorax borkumensis feeds on oil, multiplying rapidly in the wake of oil spills, and thereby accelerating the elimination of the pollution, in many cases.

10 May 2025

Gum disease bacterium linked to increased risk of atrial fibrillation

Tempted to skip the floss? Your heart might thank you if you don't. A new study from Hiroshima University (HU) finds that the gum disease bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) can slip into the bloodstream and infiltrate the heart.

10 May 2025

Study uncovers how co-infection by two bacteria suppresses immune response

The incidence of infection by Mycobacterium abscessus, is increasing in patients with cystic fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and other chronic pulmonary diseases, leading to an accelerated lung function decline.

8 May 2025

New molecule offers hope for chlamydia treatment

Researchers at Umeå University, Sweden, and Michigan State University, USA, have discovered a type of molecule that can kill chlamydia bacteria but spare bacteria that are important for health.

8 May 2025

Scientists build world's most accessible gut bacteria collection to unlock health and disease clues

Researchers have developed the Human Intestinal Bacteria Collection (HiBC), comprising 340 gut bacterial strains from 198 species, including 29 newly described taxa, made publicly available for functional microbiome research.

7 May 2025

How nutritious is dried Gapal? Study reveals its strengths and one hidden weakness

Researchers analyzed the nutritional composition of dried Gapal, a traditional fermented milk-cereal food from Burkina Faso, revealing its high carbohydrate and mineral content. Despite its nutritional potential, high phytic acid levels may limit mineral bioavailability, especially for zinc.

7 May 2025

Air pollution reshapes children’s nasal microbiome and reduces diversity in winter

A new study from Milan reveals that short-term exposure to air pollutants like black carbon and VOCs significantly alters the nasal microbiota of school-aged children. These changes vary by season, with winter exposure reducing microbial diversity and favoring potentially pathogenic bacteria.

7 May 2025

Most deadly drug-resistant infections in poorer countries go untreated, study shows

A new modelling study reveals that only 7% of carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative (CRGN) bacterial infections in eight LMICs receive effective antibiotic treatment. This stark undertreatment poses a major threat in the global fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

7 May 2025

New insights into bacterial division through engineered protein control

The Min protein system prevents abnormal cell division in bacteria by forming oscillating patterns between the ends of a cell ("poles"). Despite decades of theoretical work, predicting the protein concentrations at which oscillations start and whether cells can maintain them under different conditions has been a challenge.

7 May 2025

Scientists engineer new drug candidate to fight deadly mycobacterial infection

In a classic example of scientific problem solving, scientists from the Hackensack Meridian Center for Discovery and Innovation (CDI) and colleagues have published a paper introducing a promising new drug candidate they engineered to target a deadly and emerging infection.

6 May 2025

Breakthrough in labeling TB glycans could lead to faster diagnosis

Tuberculosis, the world's deadliest infectious disease, is estimated to infect around 10 million people each year, and kills more than 1 million annually. Once established in the lungs, the bacteria's thick cell wall helps it to fight off the host immune system.

5 May 2025

New rifamycin drugs fight antibiotic-resistant lung infections more effectively

Researchers have developed next-generation rifamycin analogs that effectively kill both replicating and nonreplicating Mycobacterium abscessus while minimizing drug-drug interactions. Lead candidates UMN-120 and UMN-121 showed superior efficacy to current treatments in mouse models and retained potency against M. tuberculosis.

5 May 2025

An Arm and a Leg: Why ‘The Pitt’ is our fave new drama

People who work in real-life emergency rooms have raved about how the new TV drama "The Pitt" accurately captures the complex dynamics of their workplaces and the medical details of their cases

5 May 2025

New insights into facial bacteria may improve acne treatment strategies

The composition of bacterial populations living on our faces plays a significant role in the development of acne and other skin conditions such as eczema.

2 May 2025

New drug technique targets gut inflammation with precision

A new approach to drug design can deliver medicine directly to the gut in mice at significantly lower doses than current inflammatory bowel disease treatments.

2 May 2025

Gut immune cells linked to worsening rheumatoid arthritis

After spending years tracing the origin and migration pattern of an unusual type of immune cell in mice, researchers have shown in a new study how activity of "good" microbes in the gut is linked to rheumatoid arthritis and, potentially, other autoimmune diseases.

2 May 2025

New antibody design enhances immune system's ability to fight cancer

Cancer scientists say they have engineered a new type of super-strong antibody which could be used to boost the immune systems of patients fighting the disease.

1 May 2025