microbiome
-
How the Ecosystems in Our Guts Could Be Linked to Brain Disorders
Within our guts is a tiny ecosystem populated by trillions of microorganisms. These germs affect digestion, the immune system, and even brain functioning. Scientists have also started investigating the potential role of gut bacteria in psychiatric and neurological conditions, including neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. If gut microbes prove influential, this could reveal how…
-
Toothbrushes Might Not Be Covered in Poo After All
If you’ve worried that your toothbrush, being usually in the same room as your toilet, is perpetually covered in microscopic faecal matter, well, here’s some relief. According to a new study, our brushes are full of bacteria found in our mouths, but they’re not full of bacteria from our guts. In other words, our toothbrushes…
-
Cancer And Heart Disease Could Be Contagious Through Our Microbiomes, Scientists Argue
It’s a science lesson you probably learned in grade school: You can only catch certain illnesses, like the flu, from another person. But a new paper argues that many diseases seen as noncommunicable, like most cancers and heart disease, might be transmissible sometimes—thanks to the seemingly harmless microbes living in and on our bodies.
-
The Fascinating Link Between Gut Health And Cancer Treatment
Why do some therapies work wonders on some patients, but seem to have virtually no effect on others? Two fascinating new studies in Science shed light on one potential contributing factor in treatment outcome for cancer patients: The trillions of microrganisms that live in our guts.