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Plumbing the depths of women's bladders may shower researchers with viral gold.
In a wee survey, Loyola University Chicago researchers found the sac-like organ brimming with never-before-seen viruses that can kill and manipulate bacteria. Their findings, published this week in the Journal of Bacteriology, offer a first-pass catalogue of the rich diversity of bacteria-infecting viruses—aka "phages" or "bacteriophages"—in the bladder microbiome. The researchers suggest that further studies into the streaming viral content could one day lead to phage-based methods to void bacterial infections and identify disorders.
"The thought that there's not bacteria in urine is false," Catherine Putonti told Ars straight away. Putonti, a bioinformatics researcher and microbiologist at Loyola, is the leading author of the study. "The big picture is that there are a lot of viruses that are part of these bacterial communities as well."
With an early hold on what viruses are present in the bladder, the researchers are excited for more urinary deep dives to see if there's a core "bladder phageome" and what those viruses might be doing—or be able to do. "Now we can start asking questions," Putonti said.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday February 05 2018, @04:53AM (3 children)
Is there a difference between male and female bladders? I also note that they use the term "women", rather than "female". Are these phages only present in the bladders of sexually mature women, and not in girls? Or - alternatively - this research was only conducted on women, perhaps in relation to women's reproductive health? Young girls may have the very same thing, and so may males have them, but only mature women have been studied so far?
It would be very interesting if only adult women have these phages, but I strongly suspect that there is no such difference between the male and female bladder, or kidneys.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Runaway1956 on Monday February 05 2018, @05:01AM (1 child)
The studies were performed by people involved in women's health issues. So male bladders haven't been looked at, or even considered. By extension, I don't think age has been considered, either. The focus has been on those people who tend to seek out gynecology services - no males, no youngsters. When they look further afield, they may establish that there are differences between older and younger females, or that there are differences between males and females. Or not.
(Score: 1, Offtopic) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Monday February 05 2018, @07:29AM
but very few men do.
Fun Fact: Methenamine is commonly used to treat women's urinary tract infections. That same chemical is also known as HMTA - the TA is for Tetramine but I don't recall what the HM is for.
HMTA, any flavor of Kool-Ade mix other than lemon, two coffee filters, a bag of party ice, a large bowl, a water glass, hydrogen peroxide and a spaghetti strainer are all you need to prepare the suicide bomber's very favorite explosive detonator: HMTD, or Hexamethyl Triperoxy Diamine.
I once rang up the FBI then explained how to make HMTD, as well as the trivia that all those can be purchased at any well-stocked grocery store.
The agent - who I expect was carefully trained to be surprised at nothing - quite desperately said "But what can just one person do?"
Remember: Any Flavor But Lemon
I won't tell you why you can't use Lemon. But I will tell you that the result is not an explosive. It's also quite funny.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 2) by Wootery on Monday February 05 2018, @11:46AM
Apparently [gpnotebook.co.uk] UTIs are far more common in women than men, but The rate of incidence is equal between the sexes in the first year of life.
Not impossible that women have additional defences.