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Gastroenterology news

Gut-derived bacterial molecule may drive severe liver disease

Researchers at the University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, together with international collaborators, have discovered that a small molecule made exclusively by gut bacteria can actively drive disease in the bile ...

C. difficile colonization in infants reshapes gut development, challenging a long-held assumption

Since its discovery, the highly contagious bacterium Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile or C. diff) has been reported not to cause symptoms in infants, leading to the assumption that colonization was not a serious health ...

Are petting zoos safe?

A 3-year-old girl has died from a rare illness after visiting a petting zoo in Victoria. She developed brain damage and kidney failure after spending weeks in intensive care.

Mini-tumors reveal new drug combinations for liver cancer

Liver cancer is difficult to treat because tumors vary greatly from patient to patient. Researchers at the University of Basel have captured this diversity by creating a collection of mini-tumors, which they use to systematically ...

Supplement plus chemotherapy boosts pancreatic cancer survival

When added to standard chemotherapy, a clinical version of the dietary supplement L-glutamine improved survival in an early-phase trial of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. The study, led by Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences ...

Gut bacterium and its metabolite found to delay aging

A new study published in Nature Aging on Aug. 25 reports that a single gut bacterium—Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum (BP)—together with a small molecule it produces, 5-aminovaleric acid betaine (5-AVAB), can alleviate multiple ...

2008 to 2023 saw shift in causes of cirrhosis

There have been substantial epidemiological shifts in the burden of cirrhosis in the United States during the past decade, according to a study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

Q&A: Cyclospora outbreak

People across the United States are taking a closer look at their lettuce and leafy greens this summer because of an outbreak of cyclosporiasis, a gastrointestinal illness whose most notable symptom is severe, watery diarrhea.

Cyclosporiasis: What to know and how to prevent it

Cyclosporiasis, a parasitic infection causing "explosive diarrhea," is making headlines across the country. Dr. Stacey Rose, associate professor of internal medicine and infectious diseases at Baylor College of Medicine, ...

Microbiota dysbiosis triggers intestinal cancer stemness

Scientists at National Taiwan University College of Medicine have discovered that cancer formation is not simply caused by gene mutations. Colorectal cancers primarily originate from epithelial cells that form adenocarcinomas ...

Sweeteners slow growth of important gut bacteria in lab tests

Cambridge researchers have shown how commonly used sweeteners slow the growth of certain gut bacteria. One sweetener in particular—isosteviol—when combined with the antidepressant duloxetine, significantly impaired two important ...

Roasted and browned: How gut bacteria break down heated foods

Crusty bread, fried meat and roasted coffee owe their characteristic taste and browning to chemical reactions that occur when foods are heated. In the so-called Maillard reaction, amino acids—the building blocks of proteins—react ...