Fecal transplant

Renewing the aging gut microbiome holds promise for preventing inflammatory brain and eye degeneration.

Researchers are going beyond fecal samples to understand how the patterns of commensal microbes in the gastrointestinal tract influence development and health.

The Scientist spoke with Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School researchers Scott Weiss and Yang-Yu Liu, who propose that people bank stool samples when they’re young and healthy so that they can be transplanted to rejuvenate the gut microbiome later on.

Experiments in animals and observations in humans suggest that the amount of proline circulating in one’s plasma has a strong association with depression severity.

The unbalanced gut flora present in some people with autism is not a driver of the condition but rather a consequence of eating behaviors characteristic of the condition, a new study claims.

Microbiota from young mice reversed some aspects of aging and enhanced brain health in aged mice.

With multiple microbiota therapeutics in the pipeline for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection, clinicians foresee a shift in treatment options for the condition.

The results from two Phase 1 trials bolster the case that the gut microbiome plays a role in response to the drugs.

Tiny doses of maternal poo mixed with breast milk and given to Cesarean-born infants makes their gut microbiota resemble those of babies born vaginally.

Physical activity, independent of diet, shifts the composition of bacteria in the intestines, spurring researchers to search for species that might provide benefits akin to working out.

Studies point to the life-saving record of fecal transplants for patients infected with C. diff, despite a recent death. Doctors are now testing the procedure for other conditions.

Research in mice and humans is beginning to establish a link between the composition of microbes in the gut and immune responses to tumor cells, but the mechanisms are not yet clear.

The agency issued a safety warning after two patients contracted antibiotic-resistant infections and one of the patients died.

A review finds that for several conditions, poop from certain healthy people is more likely to provide relief for recipients.

A case study of two patients with advanced cancer shows it might be possible to avoid a common and severe side effect of immunotherapy treatment.

The microbiologist was known for his work on bacterial antibiotic resistance and infectious disease.