microbiome tagged posts

Bacterial growth rates computed with the new method are shown (top, average; bottom, for specific species, red represents faster replication) for a human subject that underwent a radical dietary change. Compared are days in which only white boiled rice was consumed (grey area) and days of normal diet (white area). A global change in bacterial growth dynamics was observed between dietary regimens. Credit: Weizmann Institute of Science

The reproduction rates of the bacteria in one’s gut may be a good indicator of health or disease, scientists say. In their examination of human microbiome data, the research group found that particular changes in bacterial growth rates are uniquely associated with type II diabetes; others are tied to inflammatory bowel disease, for example.
The study began w...

This is Drosophila intestine associated with lactobacilli bacteria, seen in red. The green GFP-positive tissue on the edges is a measure of the upregulation of Nrf2-responsive cytoprotection genes. Credit: Rheinallt Jones

A helpful subset of the intestinal microbiome, lactobacilli, stimulates the cytoprotective Nrf2 pathway in both flies and mice. The findings could potentially lead to advances in the use of bacteria to treat intestinal diseases or mitigate the effects of radiation therapy for cancer. “The body’s response to bacteria is often seen through the lens of the immune system,” says Prof. Andrew Neish, MD. “The pathway we’ve identified is not inflammatory or immunoregulatory; rather, it’s cytoprotective.”

While many types of bacteria that live in our intestines are inert or even h...