Bacteria in the gut can have a powerful effect on the physiology of the host, including aspects of immunity and neurobiology; the gut-brain axis, for example, refers to the connection between intestinal microbes and the brain. Researchers have been exploring the links between compounds that are associated with gut microbes, such as the proteins they

It turns out you can have Delta and Omicron at the same time, and it can lead to the recombinant variant deltacron. First detected in France in January of this year, deltacron is a genetic mixture of the two variants. Although rare, recombinant viruses like deltacron can come about when one cell is infected with

Bioelectronic medicine, or the use of electrical devices to manipulate electrical signaling in the body, has been a recent therapeutics focus among doctors and researchers. According to the Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine, bioelectronic treatments use devices and other technologies to treat injuries or diseases as a potentially safer option compared to drugs and similar pharmaceuticals. And

We need bile acids to help us digest food and absorb nutrients. New research has shown how bile acids modified by bacteria also play a critical role in the regulation of immunity and inflammation in the gut. This work, which has been reported in Nature as well as Cell Host & Microbe, may shed new light on ulcerative colitis

According to the American Heart Association, caffeinated coffee may lower the risk of heart failure. A recent analysis in Circulation: Heart Failure combined data from three large heart disease trials to study potential lifestyle and behavioral risk factors associated with coronary heart disease, heart failure, and stroke. In all three studies, higher coffee intake was associated with a

mRNA COVID-19 vaccines and monoclonal antibody treatments are less effective against Omicron sub-variants of COVID-19 than earlier variants of the virus. At present, lab studies show that just one monoclonal antibody treatment is effective against all three sub-variants. The corresponding study was published in Nature. Since being first identified in November 2021, the highly transmissible Omicron

T cells are on the front lines of the immune system, and can work against infections and cancer cells. But the activity of the immune system has to be very carefully regulated, or it can cause disease itself. While T cells are crucial, they can also drive autoimmune diseases. Reporting in Science Immunology, researchers have discovered that

According to a new study published in Scientific Reports, poor sleep could increase the risk of heart disease by up to 141%. Self-reported sleep and heart disease data were collected from 6,820 adults in the U.S., and about 10% of the sample (663 people) also wore a device (an actimetry sensor) to objectively measure sleep patterns. Multiple