Gastrointestinal Health News and Research

Latest Gastrointestinal Health News and Research

Highly sensitive 'sniff-cam' to detect disease biomarkers

Having bad breath can mean someone ate a smelly lunch, but it could indicate that the person is sick. Various scent compounds have been linked to illnesses such as diabetes, lung cancer and Parkinson's disease, leading scientists to develop technology that measures these substances.

31 Jul 2019

Genetic and environmental factors play major roles in the onset of vitiligo

A pair of new journal articles by researchers at the University of Colorado School of Medicine indicate that both genetic and environmental factors play significant roles in the onset of vitiligo, an autoimmune disease that results in the loss of color in blotches of skin.

31 Jul 2019

UM researchers receive $14 million from NIH for cutting-edge HIV research

The National Institutes of Health has awarded University of Miami researchers $14 million for an ambitious seven-year project that will keep the Miller School of Medicine at the forefront of cutting-edge HIV research.

30 Jul 2019

MIT researchers develop new material that could make it easier to remove colon polyps

More than 15 million colonoscopies are performed in the United States every year, and in at least 20 percent of those, gastroenterologists end up removing precancerous growths from the colon. Eliminating these early-stage lesions, known as polyps, is the best way to prevent colon cancer from developing.

30 Jul 2019

Genetics may influence the composition of the microbiome more than environmental factors

Researchers have found that the microbiome is influenced by genetics much more than it is by the maternal birth environment.

29 Jul 2019

Organic apples have probiotic properties

A new study shows that eating an apple, core and all, is the equivalent of eating not only fiber, vitamins and, sugars, but also about 100 million bacteria.

29 Jul 2019

Trial shows nor-urso as an effective treatment option for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

A team led by Michael Trauner at MedUni Vienna's Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology demonstrated the beneficial effect of synthetically produced bile acid with the active agent nor-ursodeoxycholic acid (nor-urso) in the hitherto incurable liver disease primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) around two years ago.

29 Jul 2019

Tohoku University professor awarded 2019 Yngve Ericsson Prize

Professor Nobuhiro Takahashi of the Graduate School of Dentistry has been awarded the 2019 Yngve Ericsson Prize in the field of preventive odontology, the first researcher in Asia to receive the honor.

27 Jul 2019

MGH study shows the importance of fatty acid balance in chronic disease

Using novel transgenic mouse models they developed, Massachusetts General Hospital investigators have provided new evidence that it is the ratio of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, rather than the total amount of them, that influences risk of developing chronic disease.

27 Jul 2019

Gut bacteria that prevents mice from becoming obese may also control weight in people

Researchers at University of Utah Health have identified a specific class of bacteria from the gut that prevents mice from becoming obese, suggesting these same microbes may similarly control weight in people.

26 Jul 2019

Scientists investigate how fungus interacts with bacteria to trigger Crohn's disease

Scientists have known that bacteria in the gut, along with environmental and genetic factors, contribute to the debilitating intestinal ailment of Crohn's disease.

26 Jul 2019

Scientists develop 3D printed pill that samples bacteria found in the gut

The gut microbiome is made up of trillions of living microbes, and more than a thousand species of bacteria. It has been known that the gut plays major roles in the body’s health. A team of university engineers may have developed a way to study and collect samples of microbes living in the gut.

25 Jul 2019

New vaccine containing DNA and recombinant proteins may protect from HIV

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have developed a novel vaccine consisting of DNA and recombinant proteins?proteins composed of a portion of an HIV protein and another unrelated protein.

24 Jul 2019

Early exposure to farm animals may lead to robust immune system development

Getting up close - and a little dirty - with farm animals just might help us fend off illness, say researchers who've further demonstrated the benefits of early exposure to a wide variety of environmental bacteria.

23 Jul 2019

High-resolution images offer clues to improve design of anti-nausea drugs

A new study using a special type of electron microscope using samples cooled to extremely cold temperatures provides critical information for drug developers seeking to reduce nausea and vomiting side effects of cancer treatments.

23 Jul 2019

Microbial compound found in infant gut increases allergy, asthma risk

A study of newborn infants has identified a compound produced by gut bacteria that appears to predispose certain infants to allergies and asthma later in life.

22 Jul 2019

Intestinal microbes may affect course of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science have shown in mice that intestinal microbes, collectively termed the gut microbiome, may affect the course of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

22 Jul 2019

Study finds how best to grow gut microbes to improve human health

A young scientist at the University of Virginia School of Medicine has received a prestigious grant to determine how best to grow gut microbes to fight disease and improve human health.

22 Jul 2019

New organic molecule could become potent weapon in the fight against antibiotic resistance

An organic molecule composed of simple sugars could become a potent weapon in the fight against rising antibiotic resistance, according to EU-funded researchers who have developed a novel, targeted drug-delivery technique to treat deadly tuberculosis and other lethal pathogens.

21 Jul 2019

Study shows link between gut microbiome health and successful joint replacement

Having healthy gut flora - the trillions of bacteria housed in our intestines - could lower the risk of infection following knee and hip replacement surgeries, while an unhealthy intestinal flora may increase the risk of infection.

18 Jul 2019