Tag Archives: fecal

Enhancing Cancer Treatment Efficacy with Fecal Transplants: A Promising Approach

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Harnessing Gut Bacteria: A Novel Approach in Cancer Treatment

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For individuals unresponsive to conventional cancer therapies, fecal transplants from patients who have successfully undergone treatment could significantly enhance recovery odds. Modifying the gut microbiome impacts the immune response and has shown potential in stabilizing tumors during initial studies involving kidney cancer patients.

Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a safe procedure where a stool sample from one individual is transferred into another’s intestine to improve microbiome diversity. Initially approved to tackle recurring antibiotic-resistant Clostridioides difficile infections, FMT is on the rise in both the UK and US, and it has shown promise in conditions like irritable bowel syndrome.

While immunotherapy drugs, such as checkpoint inhibitors, enhance immune system functions to combat cancer cells, they may not be universally effective. Previous studies suggest that FMT from responding individuals could provide benefits for non-responders. “The microbiome significantly influences host immunity; thus, modifying it may enhance immune responses and facilitate cancer cell destruction,” states Gianluca Ianilo from the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Rome, Italy.

Prior research predominantly examined melanoma, a specific skin cancer, without comparing FMT effects to a placebo. To mitigate these gaps, Ianilo and colleagues enlisted 45 adults with kidney cancer who had commenced dual therapy with the checkpoint inhibitor pembrolizumab and axitinib—a medication obstructing tumor blood supply—within the last two months.

Participants were randomly split into two groups: one receiving FMT from a male donor whose cancer remitted post-checkpoint inhibitors, and the other receiving saline, both administered through a small tube rectally.

Following the initial transplant, most participants were given two additional doses (FMT or saline) three and six months later, but this time in oral pill form.

In the FMT cohort, participants maintained stable cancer status for an average of two years following the first transplant, contrasting with just nine months in the placebo group. Moreover, over half of those in the FMT group experienced tumor reduction, compared to approximately one-third in the placebo group.

“This provides robust evidence indicating that gut microbiome manipulation can significantly affect immunotherapy outcomes,” claims Hassan Zaroor from the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

While the exact mechanism of FMT’s efficacy remains unclear, stool sample analyses taken before and after FMT indicate that FMT may introduce beneficial gut bacteria like Blautia wechslerae, which produce short-chain fatty acids that promote anti-cancer immune responses.

Additionally, FMT appeared to adjust the bacterial composition in recipients’ guts. For instance, it diminished levels of harmful strains like Escherichia coli, which trigger inflammation, while boosting beneficial bacteria like Ruminococcus bromii, known for enhancing growth of other beneficial bacteria that produce short-chain fatty acids.

This finding aligns with another recent study indicating that FMT can significantly enhance the effectiveness of checkpoint inhibitors in patients with non-small cell lung cancer compared to immunotherapy alone.

These trials suggest that FMT may also prove effective against additional tumor types responsive to checkpoint inhibitors, including those affecting the bladder and head and neck, although larger randomized controlled trials are necessary to validate these findings, according to Elkrief.

Future research must determine which specific bacterial strains confer benefits, potentially enabling the development of synthetic microbial preparations for widespread cancer treatments, Ianilo emphasizes.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Miraculous Recovery: Man Saved by Fecal Transplant After Intestine Produces Alcohol

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A corrective approach to alter a man’s microbiome prevented excessive alcohol production in his body.

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A Massachusetts man experienced severe inebriation due to his intestines autonomously producing alcohol, a condition known as autobrewer syndrome. His recovery began after ingesting fecal bacteria from a healthy donor.

This retired U.S. Marine, in his 60s, faced unusual symptoms following multiple antibiotic treatments for prostate inflammation. Until then, he maintained good health and only occasionally drank alcohol. His sudden, overwhelming intoxication left him disoriented and lethargic.

He sought help at emergency rooms repeatedly, but medical staff were skeptical about his claims of not drinking. Eventually, a diagnosis of autobrewer syndrome—a rare condition where gut microbes produce excessive alcohol—was confirmed.

His severe inebriation hindered routine activities, and he even required breathalyzer locks on his vehicles to avoid legal issues.

After connecting with a patient support group, he discovered fecal transplants could potentially treat his condition. This led him to contact Dr. Elizabeth Homan from Massachusetts General Hospital.

Initially, Dr. Homan dismissed his voicemail messages, as he sounded intoxicated. Eventually, the man’s wife reached out, explaining the situation, which prompted a collaboration with Dr. Bernd Schnabl, an expert on autobrewer syndrome. Together, they planned a fecal transplant for him.

Prior to the procedure, Homan, Schnabl, and their team conducted a comprehensive study on the causes of autobrewer syndrome. They analyzed stool samples from 22 patients with the condition and 21 healthy relatives, looking for variations in gut bacteria. “Our lab had a distinct smell,” Schnabl recollects.

The research revealed that fecal samples from patients produced significant alcohol when cultured, likely due to high levels of specific intestinal bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, which ferment sugars to create alcohol. Previous cases had primarily linked the syndrome to excessive yeast growth.

To treat the Massachusetts man, Homan administered oral capsules derived from a healthy male donor’s fecal matter, known for having an optimal gut microbiome. “This donor has been carefully selected and is a personal trainer who prioritizes fitness,” she explains. When the capsules were analyzed, researchers noted exceptional gut microbiota within them.

Gradually, the man’s autobrewer syndrome resolved as the harmful alcohol-producing bacteria in his gut were replaced with healthier strains from the donor. “One of the highlights of this case was meeting his daughter, a medical school graduate, who expressed gratitude for bringing her ‘old dad back,'” Homan shared.

Schnabl mentions that most individuals likely produce minimal alcohol in their intestines due to the presence of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. However, significantly elevated levels lead to inebriating alcohol production, often triggered by long-term antibiotic use that disrupts the microbiome, which was the case for this patient.

Currently, Homan and Schnabl are conducting a large-scale trial to assess the effectiveness of oral fecal transplants for other patients with autobrewer syndrome.

Topics:

  • Gut Health /
  • Intestinal Microbiota

Source: www.newscientist.com

Dozens of US Beaches to Close by July 4th Due to Fecal Bacteria Contamination

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Right before the extended Independence Day weekend, numerous beaches nationwide were closed due to high levels of harmful bacteria, accompanied by health advisories. The issue stems from fecal waste, a prevalent summer concern in both freshwater and ocean areas, which can lead to gastrointestinal illnesses and skin infections.

At least six states have enacted beach or lake closures and advisories. Testing revealed unsafe levels of fecal bacteria in various waterways. In Massachusetts, nearly 20 beaches are closed due to elevated bacterial counts. In New York, four beaches have been shut down. Illinois has issued at least eight advisories over recent weeks. Los Angeles County announced 8 ocean water quality advisories as of Tuesday. Three beaches in Michigan have been closed.

The bacteria posing threats to summer swimmers include E. coli and enterococcus. Contamination may result from sewage, fertilizers, or stormwater runoff. E. coli is often found in freshwater environments, while enterococcus can develop in both oceans and freshwater.

Edward Dudley, the director of Penn State’s E. coli reference center, noted that testing for swimming waters is a standard practice, as are the subsequent closures.

Antalpreet Jutla, an associate professor of environmental engineering science at the University of Florida, mentioned that beach closures tend to occur during the summer months when surface temperatures rise and bacteria can proliferate more easily. However, he emphasized that various factors — including human activities, temperature, and water movement — can influence bacterial growth.

Jutla also reiterated that closures due to fecal bacteria are quite common.

In North Carolina, authorities cautioned about a cyanobacteria algae bloom in Lake Norman, advising people to keep children and pets away from water that appears bright green, blue, or scummy. Unlike fecal bacteria, cyanobacteria are one of the primary causes of algae in freshwater environments, as noted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Research indicates that climate change may cause more frequent cyanobacteria blooms.

The Environmental Protection Agency has established guidelines for safe levels of fecal bacteria and recommends water quality and monitoring standards. Some Illinois beaches undergo testing every two weeks.

“Generally, the higher the level, the greater the risk,” Dudley stated.

Fecal waste can result in numerous harmful diseases, but experts are increasingly concerned about the recent rise in another dangerous bacterium, Vibrio.

Vibrio is a potentially lethal bacterium responsible for similar beach closures in the recent past. These carnivorous bacteria flourish in warm coastal waters. Jutla noted that he has observed Vibrio gradually migrating northward across the US. Testing for this bacterium varies based on specific conditions and concentration thresholds.

“While trends nationwide seem unusual at the moment, it’s something we’re particularly worried about: its presence in coastal waters,” Jutla remarked regarding Vibrio.

The deadly V. vulnificus is a rare type of bacterium, yet infections have surged in recent years due to warmer seawater along the US East Coast.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

What insights can a home fecal test kit provide about our gut microbiome?

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Feces can reveal the bacteria in your intestines, but we don’t yet know which ones are best.

STEVE GSCHMEISSNER/Science Photo Library/Alamy

The science of our gut microbiome is often portrayed as one of medicine’s hottest new areas, but some argue that this research is overhyped. The latest aspect of this field to gain traction is test kits that allow you to send in a stool sample to find out if your gut bacteria are impacting your health.

Analysis found that these kits made claims that were not supported by evidence and that their testing procedures were not rigorous enough. So should companies even be allowed to sell them?

Research into the microbiome began about 20 years ago, with advances in DNA sequencing allowing scientists to learn more about our bodies and the bacteria that live within them.

Doctors have long known that some infectious diseases are caused by an overgrowth of harmful pathogens. The innovative idea is that more subtle microbiome disturbances can lead to conditions normally thought to have nothing to do with our gut, such as obesity, cancer and depression. did.

Despite the hype, this field has yet to change the world of medicine. Fecal transplants (transferring one person’s stool to another’s to increase beneficial bacteria) have so far been approved for only one rare medical condition. It is a severe form of diarrhea that usually affects hospitalized patients taking strong antibiotics. Additionally, probiotic products that purport to deliver “good bacteria” to the gut have generally not yet been shown to be effective in randomized trials, the gold standard of medical evidence.

But that hasn’t stopped some companies from selling microbiome-related products directly to the public. In response, the US National Institutes of Health launched an investigation into the increased use of fecal test kits by the general public.

Diane Hoffman Researchers from the University of Maryland identified 31 companies around the world that offer direct-to-consumer microbiome analysis kits. Based on the results of these analyses, users may be provided with a comprehensive report on their gut health, for example in the form of a numerical score, or told that their gut bacteria are associated with certain medical conditions. there is.

The big problem, Hoffman says, is that the science behind fecal DNA analysis is not yet advanced enough to draw reliable conclusions. Previous research has shown that Giving the same sample to different laboratories can give different results. This may be due to differences in how samples are processed or the reference databases companies use to determine someone’s microbiome.

Companies typically do not provide details about how they conduct their analysis, considering it commercially sensitive. “They don’t have to provide any information,” Hoffman said.

A further problem is that even if we could accurately quantify how much of each bacterial species is in someone’s feces, there is still no debate among doctors about which bacteria are associated with specific medical conditions or gut health. There’s a lack of consensus, Hoffman said. “They don’t have the data they need to determine whether someone’s gut microbiome is healthy or unhealthy.”

Some of the companies selling these tests have conflicts of interest. The research team found that nearly half of manufacturers sell supplements and probiotic products that claim to improve gut health and recommend them to consumers based on test results.

The findings are not surprising. leslie hoyles He is co-author of a review on the field at Nottingham Trent University in the UK. natural microbiology Last year, it concluded that the country was susceptible to “hype and misinformation.” When it comes to fecal testing, “it varies so much from person to person that it’s meaningless,” she says. “We don’t know what a healthy microbiome is.”

It might be tempting to think that if people want to waste money on fecal test kits, they should be allowed to do so. However, many other types of direct-to-consumer medical tests, such as pregnancy tests and COVID-19 tests, are regulated by government agencies and require sufficient supporting evidence. It’s time for microbiome testing to meet the same standards, Hoffman says.

No one is arguing that microbiome research should be abandoned. Although there is great promise in this field, it is clear that it is still in its early stages. So for now, it may be wise to just continue flushing your stool down the toilet.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Scientists Uncover Four New Emperor Penguin Colonies in Antarctica through Fecal Analysis

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Emperor penguins are the largest species of penguin, often weighing around 90 pounds. However, they also have one of the most precarious breeding methods on the planet.

To ensure their chicks leave the nest in the summer, they breed during the coldest months of the year, when temperatures are close to -50 degrees Fahrenheit and Antarctic winds can gust at 190 miles per hour. Male penguins keep their chicks warm by balancing eggs on their feet, and colonies of up to 5,000 penguins huddle together to stay warm, each with their own body temperature. They are said to be walking around with a limp so that they can take turns.

But these animals do all of their breeding on Antarctic sea ice, and last year’s sea ice reached its lowest peak since scientists started measuring it in 1979. Some scientists fear that the decline is now so extreme that it has become an inevitable snowball effect.

If the ice sheet breaks before the emperor penguin colony leaves its chicks, the chicks will fall into the water and die, Fretwell said. That has happened over the past two years, particularly in 2022, with another study by Fretwell published last year showing “complete breeding failure” in all but one of the five known breeding sites.

The new colonies identified by Fretwell are mostly small. They said in a paper published in the journal Antarctic Science that at least some penguins appear to have migrated because of unstable sea ice conditions.

“If the colonies fail, they will move to other areas,” Fretwell told NBC News.

“We spend all this time monitoring these animals and seeing if they can adapt to climate change, but the truth is that penguins ultimately need to adapt. Not us,” Fretwell added. “We need to end our dependence on fossil fuels, not just for penguins, but for all species and ourselves.”

Source: www.nbcnews.com