New evidence linking gut bacteria alterations to autism

A new study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances, is shedding light on the potential link between autism and gut microbiome impairments. The research reveals a mechanism by which altered gut bacteria populations can lead to abnormal microbial detoxification and mitochondrial dysfunction.

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More at: https://newatlas.com/science/gut-bacteria-mic...metabolic-detoxification/

Researchers discover how gut bacteria can protect from radiation damage

Published in the journal Science, a new study presents novel evidence to suggest certain species of gut bacteria can protect an organism from radiation-induced damage. The study began by identifying a small subset of mice with the strange ability to survive a high dose of radiation that would kill most other mice.

The researchers called these mice "elite-survivors" and closely investigated their gut microbiome to find out how certain bacterial species could be conferring this unexpected protection from radiation. Those "elite-survivors" were found to harbor a high abundance of two kinds of bacteria: Lachnospiraceae and Enterococcaceae. Further investigations revealed two metabolites produced by the bacteria, propionate and tryptophan, seemed to play a role in protecting the animals against the adverse effects of radiation exposure.

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More at: https://newatlas.com/medical/microbiome-gut-b...-radiotherapy-protection/

'Breakthrough finding' reveals why certain Covid-19 patients die

In an international study in Science, 10 percent of nearly 1,000 Covid-19 patients who developed life-threatening pneumonia had antibodies that disable key immune system proteins called interferons. These antibodies — known as autoantibodies, because they attack the body itself — weren't found at all in 663 people with mild or asymptomatic Covid-19 infections. Only four of 1,227 healthy patients had the autoantibodies. The study was led by the Covid Human Genetic Effort, which includes 200 research centers in 40 countries.
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Scientists have long known that viruses and the immune system compete in a sort of arms race, with viruses evolving ways to evade the immune system and even suppress its response, said Sabra Klein, a professor of molecular microbiology and immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Antibodies are usually the heroes of the immune system, defending the body against viruses and other threats. But sometimes, in a phenomenon known as autoimmune disease, the immune system appears confused and creates autoantibodies. This occurs in diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, when antibodies attack the joints, and Type 1 diabetes, in which the immune system attacks insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.

Although doctors don't know the exact causes of autoimmune disease, they've observed that the conditions often occur after viral infections. Autoimmune diseases are more common as people age.
https://news.yahoo.com/why-covid-19-kills-certain-100211975.html

The complexities of the diet-microbiome relationship: advances and perspectives

This review discusses the intricacies and current methodologies of diet-microbial relations, the implications and limitations of these investigative approaches, and future considerations. Clinical evidence with health outcomes is required before therapeutic dietary strategies for microbial amelioration can be made.

https://genomemedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13073-020-00813-7

Anti-inflammatory brain cells activated by signals from gut bacteria

New research published in the journal Nature is describing the discovery of a novel subset of brain cell with the capacity to prevent neuroinflammation. This anti-inflammatory activity is modulated by molecules induced by gut bacteria, revealing an exciting new gut-brain pathway that could guide research into a number of therapies for neurological disease.

The research, led by scientists from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, focused on astrocytes, a common type of non-neuronal cell abundant in the brain and spinal cord. Astrocytes play a number of diverse roles in the brain from helping regulate neural activity to maintaining the blood-brain barrier.

More at: https://newatlas.com/science/anti-inflammator...strocytes-gut-microbiome/