Gastrointestinal Health News and Research

Latest Gastrointestinal Health News and Research

Study links antimicrobial peptides to amyloid disease and neurodegeneration

For decades, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and amyloid-forming peptides were studied in largely separate contexts.

5 May 2026

Study highlights breakthrough in overcoming diminishing returns of sequential IBD therapies

For patients with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis who have exhausted other treatment options, a new combination therapy is showing results that offer hope for one of medicine's most treatment-resistant populations, according to findings from two studies to be presented today at Digestive Disease Week® (DDW) 2026.

5 May 2026

How a common gut bacterium may protect health

Akkermansia muciniphila's impact on immunity and pregnancy outcomes underscores its promise as a probiotic, with implications for infectious disease treatment.

4 May 2026

New genetic tool tracks how bacteria spread between people

The research, published on April 24th, 2026, in Nature Microbiology, describes how the new tool, called TRAnsmision Clustering of Strains (TRACS), uses genomics to distinguish between closely related bacterial strains.

4 May 2026

Sickness behavior may be a coordinated whole organism immune strategy

Symptoms such as fatigue, loss of appetite, altered sleep, and social withdrawal are often treated as inconvenient side effects of infection.

30 Apr 2026

AHA calls for lifelong brain health strategy to prevent cognitive decline

The AHA scientific statement calls for a life-course approach to brain health that integrates cognitive, emotional, behavioral, vascular, environmental, inflammatory, sleep, microbiome, and social factors. It highlights how early-life exposures, mental health, pollution, chronic inflammation, poor sleep, gut dysbiosis, and socioeconomic adversity may shape brain resilience and later-life cognitive decline.

29 Apr 2026

AGA update emphasizes lifestyle changes for effective hemorrhoid management

The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) has released a new clinical practice update providing expert guidance on the diagnosis and treatment of hemorrhoids, a common condition affecting approximately 50% of people by age 50.

29 Apr 2026

Lifestyle and non-lifestyle factors converge to influence gut microbiome in cancer patients

A new review was published in Volume 13 of Oncoscience on March 11, 2026, titled "Associations among physical activity, diet, non-lifestyle characteristics and the gut microbiome of cancer patients: A scoping review and network analysis."

28 Apr 2026

Rising bowel and ovarian cancer rates in younger adults raise new concerns

Cases of several cancers are rising in England among both younger and older adults, but rates of bowel and ovarian cancer are rising only among younger adults (under 50s), finds research published in the open access journal BMJ Oncology.

28 Apr 2026

New AI models quickly find compounds that target Lyme bacteria

Tufts University researchers are using AI and machine learning to more quickly identify potential narrow-spectrum antibiotics to prevent and treat Lyme disease, thanks to a generous gift from an alumnus that sped up their timeline by two to three years.

28 Apr 2026

Engineered gut bacteria successfully treat metabolic drivers of liver disease

When the liver fails, toxins - such as ammonia - that should be filtered from the blood build up and reach the brain.

28 Apr 2026

Study finds no causal link between antibiotics and celiac disease risk

The risk of celiac disease, an autoimmune reaction driven by gluten, is not a reason to avoid antibiotic treatment.

28 Apr 2026

New scientific statement defines brain health across life

Brain health isn't determined only by genetics or what happens later in life. A growing body of research shows that a range of factors-from mental health and sleep to environment, lifestyle and social conditions-play a powerful role in shaping how the brain functions and ages.

28 Apr 2026

Ultra-processed foods linked to poorer attention and higher dementia risk scores

Research shows that higher ultra-processed food consumption may impair attention and elevate modifiable dementia risk, highlighting concerns for brain health.

28 Apr 2026

Repurposed cancer drugs offer potential breakthrough for Crohn’s disease treatment

University of Houston biologists have contributed to a potential breakthrough in treating Crohn's disease by shifting the clinical focus from symptom management to addressing a primary underlying cause of the condition.

27 Apr 2026

Brain-Gut Health Initiative supports AI-assisted diagnosis of psychiatric disorders

Psychiatric disorders affect millions worldwide, but their diagnosis still relies on clinical observation instead of standard biological tests.

25 Apr 2026

Drinking coffee alters your microbiome, mood, and memory

Coffee consumption influences the microbiota-gut-brain axis, affecting cognitive performance and emotional regulation through complex biological pathways.

24 Apr 2026

Endoscopic procedure may prevent weight regain after GLP-1 discontinuation

An outpatient procedure may offer a way for the estimated 70% of people who discontinue popular weight-loss drugs to avoid regaining the pounds they shed, according to a study to be presented at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2026.

23 Apr 2026

Microplastics in the liver may drive global liver disease rates

There is considerable evidence that microplastics and nanoplastics are present in the livers of humans, and wild animal populations on land and in the ocean.

23 Apr 2026

Rectal cancer deaths in older millennials are rising rapidly

Rectal cancer deaths among older millennials are accelerating, with growth in mortality far outpacing colon cancer, suggesting primary care doctors should fully investigate early symptoms in patients under age 45, according to a study to be presented at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2026.

23 Apr 2026