Small Intestine News and Research

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Genetically engineered living hydrogel material facilitates intestinal wound healing

About 1.6 million people in the US alone currently have lifelong and incurable Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and 70,000 new cases are diagnosed in the USA each year.

6 Dec 2019

Early adherence step in intestinal transit of Shigella discovered

The bacterial pathogen Shigella, often spread through contaminated food or water, is a leading cause of mortality in both children and older adults in the developing world.

4 Dec 2019

Research shows how gut microbes affect stomach flu

A new study shows that gut microbes can modulate the severity of norovirus infection (the stomach flu, or the winter vomiting bug), based on the gut location first affected. Published in the journal Nature Microbiology on November 25, 2019, the study indicates new possibilities to treat norovirus infection.

26 Nov 2019

Mercy Medical Center to establish the Maryland Bariatric Center

Noted bariatric specialist Kuldeep Singh, MD, FACS, MBA, FASMBS, has joined Mercy Medical Center to establish a new clinical program: The Maryland Bariatric Center at Mercy, scheduled to open in January 2020. Dr. Singh will lead the new center as Medical Director.

26 Nov 2019

Gut microbes can tamp down or boost the severity of norovirus infection

The highly contagious norovirus causes diarrhea and vomiting and is notorious for spreading rapidly through densely populated spaces, such as cruise ships, nursing homes, schools and day care centers. Each year, it is responsible for some 200,000 deaths, mostly in the developing world.

25 Nov 2019

New drug combo may improve pancreatic cancer therapy

A new study by scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute have discovered a combination of two cancer-fighting drugs that successfully worked on pancreatic tumor in mice, shrinking them significantly, and paving the way for a speedy clinical trial designed to test their efficacy in humans.

18 Nov 2019

Gut microbes may alter the aging process, study finds

An international research team led by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has found that microorganisms living in the gut may alter the aging process, which could lead to the development of food-based treatment to slow it down.

14 Nov 2019

Older adults can benefit from weight loss surgery, study says

Obesity is a growing problem among people of all ages, including older adults. Though there are current measures to control and treat obesity in seniors, weight loss surgery is not usually performed on people who are above 65 years old.

11 Nov 2019

Bariatric surgery is safe and beneficial for teenagers with morbid obesity

Bariatric surgery is safe and, in many cases, beneficial for teenagers with morbid obesity who would otherwise face a heightened risk of developing severe health problems, including heart disease and stroke, according to a new study from Penn Medicine and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

25 Oct 2019

High-salt diet may trigger dementia

We’ve all heard that taking too much salt can damage your blood vessels, and now a new study published in the journal Nature on October 23, 2019, says it’s true – a diet rich in salt reduces the levels of nitric oxide, which in turn alters the tau protein within the neuron, triggering a fall in cognitive processing by the brain.

24 Oct 2019

Half the drugs in use damage gut bacteria, says new study

A startling presentation at UEG Week 2019, in Barcelona, reveals that the gut microbiome is at high risk for damage each time we use a drug from one or more of 18 commonly used groups. The effects may range from changes in the relative proportions of different beneficial and potentially harmful species to alterations in the cellular metabolism of the bacteria themselves.

23 Oct 2019

Celiac disease may now be curable with biodegradable nanoparticles

A phase 2 trial just concluded shows that people with celiac disease may now be able to hope for a cure, through a treatment that makes the immune system tolerant towards gluten. This could eventually make it possible for such individuals to eat gluten-containing foods without fear.

22 Oct 2019

Johns Hopkins researchers document lower cell replication rates in old age

In a novel study comparing healthy cells from people in their 20s with cells from people in their 80s, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center say they have documented that cell division rates appear to consistently and markedly slow down in humans at older ages.

22 Oct 2019

New treatment shows promise to reverse celiac disease

Results of a new phase 2 clinical trial using technology developed at Northwestern Medicine show it is possible to induce immune tolerance to gluten in individuals with celiac disease. The findings may pave the way for treated celiac patients to eventually tolerate gluten in their diet.

22 Oct 2019

Research finds lower bone density among adults with undiagnosed celiac disease

Research by George Mason University College of Health and Human Services found that adults who likely had undiagnosed celiac disease had lower bone density than the adults without UCD, although they consumed more calcium and phosphorous.

17 Oct 2019

SOX9 broadly modifies the severity of Alagille syndrome liver disease in mice

Alagille syndrome is a rare pediatric genetic disorder that can affect the liver, heart, kidneys, blood vessels, skeleton and other tissues.

11 Oct 2019

Newly tested medical device mimics the effects of traditional bariatric surgery in rodents

New research from King's College London published in EBioMedicine, has found that a newly tested medical device, called Sleeveballoon, mimics the effects of traditional bariatric surgery in rodents and produces impressive results on body weight, fatty liver and diabetes control.

11 Oct 2019

New tool records and tracks microbiome growth

Over the past years, the human microbiome has gained immense popularity due to its role in shaping one’s health. It is essential for human development, nutrition, and immunity. That’s why many studies have focused on how to improve one’s health by targeting or enhancing the microbiome.

11 Oct 2019

New microneedle insulin pill avoids injections, applies insulin to gut wall

Quite a few drugs such as insulin are made up of protein and hence can’t be taken internally, as the gut breaks them down, rendering them useless. Thus these have to be administered by injection, and in the case of drugs that have to be taken several times a day this is a definite limitation.

10 Oct 2019

Probiotics can help curb malnutrition over next two decades, says Bill Gates

Probiotics or good bacteria have shown promise in the potential to maintain a healthy gut. Many studies have provided evidence on the health benefits of probiotics. Now, the popular philanthropist and co-founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates said he believes probiotics could help stem malnutrition over the next two decades.

8 Oct 2019