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Early life use of antibiotics linked to higher risk of developing allergies later in life

Research presented today (6 September, 2016) at this year's European Respiratory Society International Congress in London, UK shows that exposure to antibiotics early in life is related to increased risk of developing allergies later in life.

6 Sep 2016

New game advances research into gut microbes

You may not think of yourself in this way - but in some ways your body is just a host for hundreds of trillions of microbes (including bacteria) that colonize us in fairly unique combinations in our guts, inside our various orifices and on the surface of our skin.

1 Sep 2016

University of Nebraska-Lincoln wins $11.3 million NIH grant to establish CIBC

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has earned an $11.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to establish a research center focused on investigating cellular level miscommunications that contribute to complex diseases such as cancer, diabetes and chronic liver disease.

31 Aug 2016

Engineered gut bacteria may one day help reduce negative health effects of obesity

A new therapy that involves engineered gut bacteria may one day help reduce the health problems that come with obesity. Incorporating the engineered bacteria into the guts of mice both kept them from gaining weight and protected them against some of the negative health effects of obesity.

28 Aug 2016

Scientists working on new approach to produce fruit protein far sweeter than sugar

High-fructose corn syrup and sugar are on the outs with calorie-wary consumers. As a result, low- and no-calorie alternatives have become popular, and soon, there could be another option that tastes more sugar-like than other substitutes.

17 Aug 2016

Drugs designed to target nervous system could control inflammation in the gut, study shows

There's a reason it's called a gut feeling. The brain and the gut are connected by intricate neural networks that signal hunger and satiety, love and fear, even safety and danger. These networks employ myriad chemical signals that include dopamine, a powerful neurotransmitter most famous for its role in reward and addiction.

11 Aug 2016

Mayo researchers discover important differences in breast tissue microbiome of women with cancer

A team of Mayo Clinic researchers has identified evidence of bacteria in sterilely-obtained breast tissue and found differences between women with and without breast cancer.

3 Aug 2016

Human immune system proteins can help combat chlamydia infections

Scientists from Federal Research and Clinical Centre of Physical-Chemical Medicine, Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology and MIPT have shown that peptidoglycan recognition proteins (PGLYRPs) of the human immune system can play a key role in the fight against chlamydia infections. Their study was published in Infection and Immunity.

28 Jul 2016

Study develops new methodology to analyse genetic bases of pathogenic bacteria

The study has developed a pioneering methodology to analyse the genetic bases of pathogenic bacteria and can be used to identify therapeutic targets in order to develop new antimicrobial agents.

20 Jul 2016

Review highlights beneficial health effects of cranberries

While decades of cranberry research has found that regular consumption of cranberry products promotes urinary tract health, leading scientists studying the bioactive components of fruits and other foods reported that cranberries possess whole body health benefits.

19 Jul 2016

Rare antibiotic compound detected in fungi for first time

Besides mushrooms such as truffles or morels, also many yeast and mould fungi, as well as other filamentous fungi belong to the Ascomycota phylum. They produce metabolic products which can act as natural antibiotics to combat bacteria and other pathogens. Penicillin, one of the oldest antibiotic agents, is probably the best known example.

18 Jul 2016

Gut microbiota could influence person's likelihood of developing colon cancer

The microscopic organisms that live in our gut do more than help us digest food. A new study in rats bolsters a growing body of evidence that the complex mix of microorganisms found in the gut, known as gut microbiota, could influence a person's likelihood of developing colon cancer.

13 Jul 2016

Scientists discover new biological defense system against pathogenic microorganisms

For the first time in the world, a group of researchers discovered a human immune receptor, which detects the invasion of pathogenic microorganisms.

13 Jul 2016

MS patients have different patterns of gut microorganisms than healthy counterparts

A connection between the bacteria living in the gut and immunological disorders such as multiple sclerosis have long been suspected, but for the first time, researchers have detected clear evidence of changes that tie the two together.

12 Jul 2016

Researchers receive $9 million grant to develop novel platform to quickly identify new antibiotics

In September 2014, President Obama issued an executive order for "Combating Antibiotic- Resistant Bacteria." Why the urgency? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the order noted, "estimates that annually at least 2 million illnesses and 23,000 deaths are caused by antibiotic- resistant bacteria in the United States alone."

11 Jul 2016

New study suggests potential role for gut microbiota in diabetes remission after bypass surgery

Studies have shown that bariatric surgery can lead to remission of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in rodents and humans, but this beneficial effect cannot be explained solely by weight loss.

11 Jul 2016

Studies shed more light on relation between bacteria, immune system and antibiotics

Antibiotics and the immune system are the two forces that cope with bacterial infections. Now, two studies from Isabel Gordo's laboratory, at Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, show for the first time that resistance to antibiotics and to the immune system is interconnected in bacteria.

4 Jul 2016

Why does appetite loss occur during illness? An interview with Prof. Conti and Prof. Francesconi

Appetite, as a word, come from the Latin appetitus, meaning "desire for.” Therefore, appetite can be defined as a pleasurable sensation or the desire to eat. This sensation is coordinated by several brain areas associated with reward processing such amygdala, hippocampus, ventral pallidum, nucleus accumbens and striatum, and others.

28 Jun 2016

Scientists insert metabolic pathway for carbon fixation and sugar production into E. coli bacterium

All life on the planet relies, in one way or another, on a process called carbon fixation: the ability of plants, algae and certain bacteria to "pump" carbon dioxide (CO2) from the environment, add solar or other energy and turn it into the sugars that are the required starting point needed for life processes.

24 Jun 2016

MAIT cells of immune system can fight all sorts of bacterial and viral infections

Oxford University research has found that a little-studied and relatively unknown part of the human immune system could be twice as important as previously thought.

23 Jun 2016