Inflammatory

A single genetic variant may explain why anti-TNF drugs do not work in nearly 50 percent of Crohn's disease patients

Medical

Gene discovery explains why landmark drug fails in some Crohn’s disease patients

New research has identified a specific genetic variant that may act as a biomarker for patients that are unlikely to respond to new biologic treatments for Crohn's disease.

Fasting diets were found to affect a variety of immune mechanisms, and not always in a good way

Medical

Not all fasting diets are beneficial for immune system

New research reveals different types of fasting results in significantly different immune responses.

New research suggests a high-fat diet lowers the concentration of an important intestinal immune cell that regulates the microbial population in our gut, and it is through this mechanism that obesity can lead to inflammation and diabetes

Medical

Study finds key gut immune molecule links obesity, the microbiome, and metabolic disorders

New research demonstrates how a high-fat diet can disrupt levels of an intestinal immune cell known to help regulate microbial populations in the gut. The study shows how low-levels of this molecule result in increased growth of harmful gut bacteria, leading to inflammation and insulin resistance.

A new study has found an association between whole body vibration therapy and an increase in beneficial gut bacteria and anti-inflammatory molecules in mice

Medical

Mouse study suggests vibration therapy can reduce inflammation and improve the microbiome

A new study is suggesting vibration therapy can beneficially alter the gut microbiome, and reduce diabetes-related inflammation. The research at this point has only been verified in mice, and prior human vibration therapy studies suggest these results may not broadly translate to human treatments.

A new, non-invasive test for bowel diseases looks for signs of "leaky gut" in blood and stool samples

Medical

A non-invasive test for early detection and monitoring of bowel diseases

A team of researchers in Poland has proposed a novel, non-invasive test for screening and monitoring gut diseases such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. The technique uses a tiny blood / stool sample to determine gut permeability, a key marker of these diseases.

Inflammation in the brain could be a new drug target for treating tinnitus

Medical

Treating brain inflammation could help silence tinnitus

Research led by the University of Arizona may have uncovered a new potential treatment target for tinnitus – not the ears but within the brain itself. The study suggests that neuroinflammation is to blame, and could be a new way to fix the problem.

New research suggests inflammatory actions in the brain could reduce motivation and influence the decisions people make

Biology

How our immune system evolved to take control of our decision-making processes

Two new research papers are shedding light on the fascinating relationship between inflammation and behavior, suggesting our immune system can play a significant role in both our motivation and decision-making abilities.

Years of research have revealed how a certain bacteria, found in dirt, can confer inflammatory effects in human beings

Science

Dirt-residing bacteria produce anti-inflammatory fats that could lead to a “stress vaccine”

New research suggests that some of the dirt you may have eaten as a child could have contained a type of bacteria that strengthens the immune system. The study reveals the bacteria Mycobacterium vaccae can produce a unique anti-inflammatory fatty acid with anti-inflammatory properties.

Research has revealed only food allergies seemed to correlate with increased MS disease activity, and not environmental or drug allergies

Science

Strange link between food allergies and multiple sclerosis bolstered by new study

An intriguing new study has described a clear association in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients between food allergies and disease activity. The correlation adds weight to the growing hypothesis suggesting the inflammatory activity behind MS is modulated, to a degree, by a mechanism in the gut.

New research suggests chronic inflammation may be a useful biomarker for future cognitive decline in later life

Medical

20-year study finds link between mid-life inflammation and cognitive decline in old age

A fascinating study tracking thousands of people for 20 years has revealed an intriguing association between signs of chronic inflammation in middle age, and the development of memory and thinking problems in older age.

Researchers have developed a new technique that produces fecal transplant samples without exposing the feces to bacteria-destroying oxygen

Medical

New fecal transplant technique successfully treats inflammatory bowel disease

A new Australian trial has revealed significant success in fecal transplants treating ulcerative colitis, pioneering a new stool processing technique suggested to enhance the therapeutic effect of the treatment.

An immune cell originating in the intestine has been found to reduce brain inflammation associated with multiple sclerosis

Science

Immune cells from the gut found to reduce MS-related brain inflammation

An incredible new study has provided a novel insight into the gut-brain connection, revealing the intestine may be the source of immune cells found to reduce brain inflammation in multiple sclerosis (MS) sufferers.