Your Gut Microbiome Shapes Your Life. But Where Did It Come From?
The role of chance in microbiome composition. The gut microbiome is an ecosystem of hundreds to thousands of microbial species living within the human body….
Gastroenterology
People With Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Have More Microplastics in Their Feces
Microplastics — tiny pieces of plastic less than 5 mm in length – are everywhere, from bottled water to food to air. According to recent…
For IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), Specific Diets Are Less Important Than Expected
Many IBS sufferers avoid certain types of food and often exclude gluten. However, a large new study from Chalmers University of Technology and Uppsala University,…
Why Is Poop Brown? A Doctor Explains
Three-quarters of your poop consists of water and most of the rest is food your body didn’t digest. Once it exits the digestive system, poop…
New Research Finds Potential Mechanism Linking Autism and Intestinal Inflammation
Infection during pregnancy with elevated levels of the cytokine IL-17a may yield microbiome alterations that prime offspring for aberrant immune responses, mouse study suggests. Though…
MIT Advances Toward “Living Biotherapeutics” To Treat Gastrointestinal Diseases
Chemical engineers created a coating for microbes that could make it easier to deploy the organisms to treat gastrointestinal diseases. The human gut is home…
Genetic Research Reveals New Clues for the Shared Origins of Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Mental Health Disorders
An international study of more than 50,000 people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) has revealed that IBS symptoms may be caused by the same biological…
Vitamin D Supplements Not an Effective Treatment for Painful IBS Symptoms
Vitamin D supplements are not an effective treatment for easing painful symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), a new study from the University of Sheffield…
One in 10 People Frequently Experience Abdominal Pain When They Eat Meals
Around 11% of the global population (13% of women and 9% of men) frequently experience abdominal pain when they eat meals, according to a survey…
Scientists Discover New Science of the Body’s “Second Brain” – New Leads To Treat Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Revealing the Logic of the Body’s “Second Brain” Scientists discover new science in the gut and, potentially, new leads on how to treat irritable bowel…
Stimulating Pressure Points in the Ear Could Help Treat Chronic Abdominal Pain in Children
Pilot study reveals patient and family interest in exploring acupressure as a potential treatment for a challenging group of abdominal disorders. A type of acupressure…
Lipitor May Be Effective Treatment for Ulcerative Colitis
There may be good news for the nearly 1 million people battling ulcerative colitis, a type of inflammatory bowel condition with no real cure: Statins,…
What You Eat May Affect Risk and Severity of COVID-19
A healthy plant-based diet was linked to a lower risk of getting COVID-19, and among people with COVID-19, a lower risk of experiencing severe symptoms….
Increased Vitamin D Intake May Protect Against Young-Onset Colorectal Cancer
Consuming higher amounts of Vitamin D – mainly from dietary sources – may help protect against developing young-onset colorectal cancer or precancerous colon polyps, according…
Immune Cells Assemble: Boosting Chemotherapy Effects in Pancreatic Cancer
A new study from Queen Mary University of London has demonstrated that immune cells can be stimulated to assemble into special structures within pancreatic cancer….
Oral Vaccines Sometimes Fail in Resource-Poor Countries – New Research Helps Explain Why
A chronic gut disorder that occurs in regions with poor sanitation disrupts intestinal immune responses and impairs oral vaccine effectiveness in a mouse model of…
Enhancing Drug Delivery With Ultrasound – Boosts Treatment of Gastrointestinal Tract Disorders
Suono Bio, founded by two MIT professors and an alumnus, is using a proven technology to boost the treatment of gastrointestinal tract disorders. It can…
Kirigami-Inspired, Snakeskin-Like Stent With Pop-Out Needles Offers New Drug Delivery Method
Stretchable, snakeskin-like design features pop-out needles to allow circumferential and longitudinal delivery of therapeutics in challenging situations. Diseases that affect tubular structures in the body,…
