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Good germs to fight bad germs.
Penn Medicine researchers have singled out a bacterial enzyme behind an imbalance in the gut microbiome linked to Crohn's disease. The new study, published online this week in Science Translational Medicine, suggests that wiping out a significant portion of the bacteria in the gut microbiome, and then re-introducing a certain type of "good" bacteria that lacks this enzyme, known as urease, may be an effective approach to better treat these diseases.
"Because it's a single enzyme that is involved in this process, it might be a targetable solution," said the study's senior author, Gary D. Wu, MD, associate chief for research in the division of Gastroenterology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. "The idea would be that we could 'engineer' the composition of the microbiota in some way that lacks this particular one."
[...] In a series of human and mouse studies, the researchers discovered that a type of "bad" bacteria known as Proteobacteria feeding on urea, a waste product that can end up back in the colon, played an important role in the development of dysbiosis.
The "bad" bacteria, which harbor the urease enzyme, convert urea into ammonia (nitrogen metabolism), which is then reabsorbed by bacteria to make amino acids that are associated with dysbiosis in Crohn's disease. "Good" bacteria may not respond in a similar manner, and thus may serve as a potential therapeutic approach to engineer the microbiome into a healthier state and treat disease.
If the technique works, it could open the door to treating other conditions like obesity.
Josephine Ni, et al A role for bacterial urease in gut dysbiosis and Crohn's disease. Science Translational Medicine, 2017; 9 (416): eaah6888 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aah6888
(Score: 2) by RS3 on Friday November 17 2017, @01:44AM (3 children)
Both good and bad bacteria are always in all of us, but are normally in balance. Many factors cause candida overgrowth, including oral antibiotics, certainly diet (too much sugar/carbs). There are many symptoms from mild to bad, short-term and long-term problems. I have a bit of a problem with it- too much carbohydrate feeds the bad bacteria: candida albicans https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candida_albicans [wikipedia.org] A good, balanced diet, certain veggies, some probiotics, acidophilus, yogurt help.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 17 2017, @02:32AM (2 children)
Historically, humans have eaten a lot more fermented foods than is currently popular. Nowadays, most stuff that we think of as fermented isn't even fermented, just flavored because it's cheaper. Pickled stuff, yogurts, sourdoughs, etc, all have positive health effects because they're "natural probiotics".
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 17 2017, @03:22AM (1 child)
A lot of the fermented stuff can be made at home. Sauer kraut is more or less trivial, you mostly just need shredded cabbage, salt and a jar to leave it in. Just be mindful to use one with a pressure release or to burp it from time to time or the whole thing will explode.
(Score: 2) by RS3 on Friday November 17 2017, @05:34AM
This is awesome- thanks. Everyone should take this seriously. I know some people who are very intensely dedicated food / nutritionists. Yes, they're into organics, etc., but with reason. They stay away from certain chemicals, "processing" (what does that mean!?!), etc., and rave about Sauer kraut, apple cider vinegar (I think that's it), and some other things I can't imagine eating but they do. One of the aforementioned people is the mother of a friend of mine- she will be 99 in January and still lives by herself. She's got a few issues, but overall amazing, and very careful / picky about what she eats. Another friend grew up in Germany and she gets very unhappy when she reads food ingredient labels on stuff in US stores.