Fecal Matter Transplant Shows Promise in Cirrhosis
VIENNA — Fecal microbiota transplants (FMT) helped reset gut microbiota, leading to strengthened gut barrier function and mucosal immunity in patients with cirrhosis, according to a U.K. trial. For this pilot study called PROFIT, 50 grams of liquid frozen fecal microbiota was transplanted into the jejunum via endoscopy in 22 patients while another 10 patients […]
FDA Advisors Back Fecal Microbiome Treatment for Recurrent C. Diff
An FDA advisory board recommended the agency approve a fecal microbiota transfer (FMT) product for recurrent Clostridium difficile infections. By a vote of 13-4 on Thursday, the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC), said RBX2660 was effective for treating patients with recurrent C. diff infections who failed first-line antimicrobial therapy. Safety landed in […]
Gut microbiota influences the ability to lose weight
Gut microbiota influences the ability to lose weight in humans, according to new research. The findings were published this week in mSystems, an open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology. “Your gut microbiome can help or cause resistance to weight loss and this opens up the possibility to try to alter the gut microbiome […]
How microbes can exacerbate cognitive decline
Recent research has found that changes in the gut microbiota — the trillions of bacteria and other microbes that live in the intestines — can alter the brain and behavior. Now, a study led by scientists at UCLA could elucidate how and why that phenomenon occurs. In the experiment, which was conducted with mice, researchers […]
New research provides clues to developing better intranasal vaccines for COVID-19 and flu
While gut microbiota play a critical role in the induction of adaptive immune responses to influenza virus infection, the role of nasal bacteria in the induction of virus-specific adaptive immunity is less clear. New research published this week in mBio,an open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology, explores the role of nasal bacteria and […]
Did Fecal Transplant Stop COVID in Its Tracks?
Fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) was safe in two hospitalized patients who were co-infected with cases of COVID-19 that quickly resolved, raising questions about the procedure’s effect on the virus. FMT was effective for the two patients, who were receiving the treatment for Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infections and subsequently tested positive for COVID-19, reported Jaroslaw […]