The microorganisms that live in and on our body have been implicated in a variety of health functions and diseases. Two microbiologists comment on certain common assumptions about the human microbiota, including that it weighs 2 kg and is altered in case of obesity.
Two comprehensive meta-analyses identify factors associated with fecal microbiota transplant success
12 Sep 2023by Andreu Prados
Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has shown to be efficient in recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection and is being researched in clinical trials for other conditions, but its mechanisms of action remain poorly understood. Two new studies shed light on factors that predict clinical success in FMT.
In vitro fermentation models to study how exogenous factors shape the gut microbiome: applications, pros and cons
22 Aug 2023by Andreu Prados
Studying host-microbe interactions in controlled environments is a major challenge in the field of microbiome research. This article outlines the relevance, pros and cons of intestinal fermentation in in vitro models and provides an overview of their applications in microbiome research.
Differences in the gut microbiota in patients with IBD compared to healthy controls suggest that probiotics may be of help. This article takes an in-depth look into the rationale of using probiotics for IBD and summarizes the evidence from recent clinical guidelines for the use of probiotics in Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and pouchitis.
Microbiome and microbial therapy advances: takeaways from the Digestive Disease Week 2023
4 Jul 2023by Andreu Prados, Konstantina Zafeiropoulou
The DDW meeting 2023 covered a huge variety of basic, translational and clinical aspects of research in gastrointestinal and extraintestinal human health and disease. This post highlights the major-takeaways from the Microbiome & Microbial Therapy sessions and unravels how they might impact daily basic research and clinical practice (part 1).
Can probiotics aid in treating bacterial vaginosis and vulvovaginal candidiasis?
14 Jun 2023by Andreu Prados
Probiotics are commonly used in clinical practice for digestive ailments. Some clinical trials also support the use of specific probiotics, taken orally or vaginally, for restoring the vaginal microbiota and managing bacterial vaginosis and vulvovaginal candidiasis. Here’s what we know.
Are we ready to target the gut microbiota for obesity and weight management? A journey from bench to bedside
24 May 2023by Andreu Prados, Patrice D. Cani
Studies over the last decade have brought new hope that gut microbiome-targeted therapeutics might offer novel treatments for obesity. In this post, we ask whether dietary interventions, prebiotics, probiotics and medication that target the microbiome are useful for weight management.
What happens in the gut can have an impact on the vaginal microbiota. Now scientists understand why
28 Apr 2023by Andreu Prados
While the most popular microbiota you may have heard about is that of the gut, the vagina has a microbiota too. Find out more about the relationship between the two and why taking care of the gut microbiota matters for the vaginal microbiota.
The translational potential of microbiome research for human health and disease: takeaways from the 2023 GMFH Summit
28 Apr 2023by Andreu Prados, Joël Doré
The 11th Gut Microbiota for Health World Summit focused on emerging gut microbiome-targeted treatments in digestive, immune and cardiometabolic health. This post highlights the major take-aways from the conference and explores how they might impact clinical practice in the foreseeable future.
Could the gut microbiota explain why inflammatory bowel diseases are on the rise?
23 Mar 2023by Andreu Prados
Inflammatory bowel disease covers chronic inflammatory conditions of the gastrointestinal tract, such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Find out more about the typical and atypical forms of IBD and what science knows about how the gut microbiota is involved in its development.
