Posts

Microbial SCFAs as epigenetic mediators: fine-tuning the gut-brain axis in neurodegenerative disorders

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  Highlights ● SCFAs function as gut-derived epigenetic regulators, bridging dietary fiber metabolism to brain-wide chromatin remodeling in neurodegenerative diseases. ● Butyrate acts as a potent HDAC inhibitor, enhancing histone acetylation to suppress neuroinflammation and promote synaptic plasticity in AD and PD models. ● SCFAs modulate DNA methylation dynamics via TET-DNMT balance, correcting aberrant gene expression linked to Aβ and α-synuclein pathologies. ● Emerging evidence positions histone lactylation as a novel SCFA-sensitive mechanism linking microglial metabolism to neuroinflammatory loops in neurodegeneration.

Modelling Fusobacterium lifestyles transitions by integrating transcriptomics and growth data

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  Highlights • Reconstructed and curated of the genome-scale metabolic model (GEM) of  Fusobacterium nucleatum • Experimental data used to refine and validate the GEM, including biomass formulation with BOFdat (Biomass Objective Function from experimental data) • Integrated transcriptomic data to build context-specific metabolic models • Metabolic rewiring links  F. nucleatum  adaptation to colorectal cancer (CRC) context • Provides a systems framework to explore host-microbe metabolic interactions

A multi-glycoprotein synergized recombinant virus system resolves the research dilemma of Epstein-Barr virus entry and facilitates the development of entry-specific drugs or vaccines

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  Highlights • A novel virus system rEBV-VSV was developed realizing efficient and native EBV entry via multi-synergetic glycoproteins with sensitive bioluminescence detection. • rEBV-VSV was especially competent for rapid and high-throughput entry-inhibition evaluation of drugs, antibodies, or sera and accurate study of EBV entry mechanisms via flexible mutations or recombination on rEBV-VSV. • Glycoprotein 42 (gp42) was found to mediate diverse functions of an important mutation L65A+L69A on glycoprotein H (gH) and also manipulated the efficacy of gH-targeted antibodies.

Genomic atlas of Bifidobacterium infantis and B. longum informs infant probiotic design

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Highlights • Genome catalog of 4,098  B. infantis  and  B. longum  shows distinct biogeography and ecology • B. infantis  is depleted in Westernized populations but highly common in LMIC infants • Massively expanded  B. infantis  diversity and functions are absent from current probiotics • Geo-specific strain library informs diet- and population-tailored infant probiotic design

Can the shingles vaccine slow ageing? The evidence is surprisingly strong

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D EMENTIA IS tragically  common among the elderly. In 2021 57m people worldwide were thought to have the condition. Ageing is a risk factor for many other ailments too, ranging from chronic inflammation to a decline in organ function. A growing body of work, however, suggests that simply taking a course of the shingles vaccine can meaningfully slow the decline. The new data, from a range of countries, suggests that it cuts risk by 20%.

Bacteriophage cocktail in drinking water suppresses systemic avian pathogenic Escherichia coli infection and pathology in laying hens

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  Highlights • Administration of the bacteriophage cocktail at a high MOI reduced APEC-induced morbidity and mortality by 20-30% in laying hens, validating its potential as an antimicrobial alternative. • The oral route (drinking water) demonstrated superior therapeutic efficacy compared to intramuscular injection, resulting in the complete absence of macroscopic lesions and a noticeable reduction in median histopathological scores, particularly in the spleen. • The administered phage cocktail achieved effective lytic activity against APEC and was recovered across multiple tissues without causing collateral damage or altering the general bacterial structure of the cecal microbiota.

Sexually transmitted disease

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A  sexually transmitted infections   ( STI ) is a   disease   which   spreads   by having   sex . STIs can spread through   oral sex   or   anal sex , or when two people's   genitals   touch. STIs can be caused by  viruses ,  bacteria , or  parasites . Examples of the most common STIs are listed on this page. Types of STDs