https://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. A research team from POSTECH and ImmunoBiome in Korea, led by Professor Sin-Hyeog Im, has uncovered a new mechanism showing how butyrate—a short-chain fatty acid produced by gut commensal bacteria—enhances T follicular helper (Tfh) cell activity to promote antibody production and strengthen mucosal vaccine efficacy. This study identifies a new microbiota–immune–antibody production axis linking microbial metabolism to mucosal immune responses, providing a strategy to maximize the protective effects of mucosal vaccines. The findings are published in the journal Microbiome. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-gut-microbe-derived-butyrate-immune.html Thu, 05 Feb 2026 11:00:40 EST news689511601 University of Toronto researchers are calling for more study of obesity, gut bacteria and metabolic conditions that arise in childhood and adolescence, with an eye to curbing the global rise of type 2 diabetes. The team says a better understanding of how genetic and environmental factors that lead to obesity also alter the makeup and function of the gut microbiota—the community of microbes living in the gut—will yield better interventions for children most at risk for youth-onset diabetes. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-urge-focus-child-obesity-gut.html Wed, 04 Feb 2026 15:43:14 EST news689442122 One person's waste could be another's shot at fighting cancer. The idea may sound far-fetched, but it is gaining momentum in cancer care. Researchers are testing fecal microbiota transplants as a way of changing the gut's microbes. This could help treatments, such as immunotherapy, work better, and it could be especially significant for hard-to-reach cancers. These fecal microbiota could also help deliver longer-lasting benefits for more patients. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-fecal-transplants-cancer.html Wed, 04 Feb 2026 08:20:02 EST news689411303 A new study reveals how bacteria in the gut can help determine whether the amino acid asparagine from the diet will feed tumor growth or activate immune cells against the cancer, according to researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine. This casts the gut microbiome, comprising the trillions of microorganisms that live in the intestine, as a central player in the body's response to cancer and to modern cancer treatments like immunotherapies. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-gut-bacteria-tumors-fueling-immunity.html Fri, 30 Jan 2026 14:40:02 EST news688919619 An association between oral microbiota and cognitive performance in schizophrenia has been reported by researchers at Science Tokyo. By analyzing saliva samples and cognitive test scores from patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls, the study shows that lower oral microbial diversity is associated with poorer cognitive function, with specific predicted microbial metabolic pathways potentially linked to this relationship. These association patterns offer testable hypotheses for future longitudinal and experimental studies. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-schizophrenia-oral-microbiome-cognitive-impairment.html Thu, 29 Jan 2026 12:50:06 EST news688912689 Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), widely marketed as a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes, are now hooking younger generations. World Health Organization data from 2025 show that at least 15 million adolescents aged 13–15 now vape. As colorful, fruit-flavored devices become a new social norm on playgrounds and campuses, we must rethink whether they are truly harmless as advertised. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-vaping-zebrafish-cigarette-exposure-disrupts.html Thu, 29 Jan 2026 12:28:39 EST news688912082 An Italian study published in Nature Medicine provides compelling evidence that fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) can enhance the effectiveness of immunotherapy in patients with advanced metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). The research was coordinated by Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore and Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli IRCCS and represents a significant step forward in understanding how the gut microbiota modulates cancer treatment outcomes. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-fecal-transplant-response-immunotherapy-advanced.html Wed, 28 Jan 2026 05:00:07 EST news688733512 A new study reveals that age-related changes in the gut microbiota directly impair intestinal stem cell (ISC) function and that restoring a youthful microbial environment can reverse this decline. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-microbial-shifts-gut-intestinal-stem.html Thu, 22 Jan 2026 11:00:06 EST news688227361 Chemotherapy commonly damages the intestinal lining, a well-known side effect. But this injury does not remain confined to the gut. It reshapes nutrient availability for intestinal bacteria, forcing the microbiota to adapt. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-chemotherapy-rewires-gut-bacteria-curb.html Thu, 22 Jan 2026 05:00:03 EST news688207501 Although she's not an entomologist, Maggie Stanislawski, Ph.D., spends hours a day studying bugs. The assistant professor of biomedical informatics specializes in the gut microbiome, an environment swimming with trillions of microscopic creatures in every person's digestive tract. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-qa-intermittent-fasting-link-gut.html Thu, 15 Jan 2026 12:26:51 EST news687702362 UF Health Cancer Institute researchers have discovered a small compound produced naturally by gut bacteria that doubled the response to lung cancer immunotherapy treatment in mice and can now be made into a drug for testing in humans. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-gut-bacteria-molecule-boosts-lung.html Wed, 14 Jan 2026 17:01:34 EST news687632461 Antibiotics (ABs) are among the most used pharmaceutical drugs worldwide, as they are currently the most effective medicines for the treatment of bacterial infections. An excessive use of these drugs, however, can damage the gut microbiota, the population of microorganisms living in the intestines that help us to digest food. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-aggressive-antibiotics-fuel-mood-disorders.html Wed, 14 Jan 2026 08:00:01 EST news687532806 Cannabidiol (CBD) could become a therapeutic tool to address some of the most frequent and disabling consequences of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), a condition caused by alcohol exposure during pregnancy. This is one of the main conclusions of a preclinical study conducted in mice by researchers at the Institute for Neurosciences (UMH–CSIC). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-cbd-treatment-reverses-key-effects.html Wed, 14 Jan 2026 04:00:01 EST news687430921 For many people, the run-up to Christmas is filled with excitement and anticipation. For others, it can quietly tip into something more difficult. A drop in mood is particularly common after Christmas, especially in the final week of the year and the first days of the new one. Understanding why this happens can help make that emotional dip easier to manage. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-combat-christmas-slump.html Mon, 29 Dec 2025 13:10:01 EST news686226771 Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a debilitating psychiatric condition characterized by a persistently low mood, a lack of motivation, feelings of hopelessness, altered sleeping and/or eating patterns, and a reduced interest in everyday activities. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-gut-bacteria-teen-depression.html Sat, 27 Dec 2025 12:00:01 EST news685703397 Bipolar disorder (BD) is a psychiatric disorder characterized by extreme mood changes. Individuals diagnosed with BD typically alternate between periods of high energy, euphoria, irritability and/or impulsivity (i.e., manic episodes) and others marked by feelings of sadness, low energy, and hopelessness (i.e., depression). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-gut-bacteria-play-role-bipolar.html Tue, 23 Dec 2025 09:50:01 EST news685363523 A research team of Prof. Eijiro Miyako at the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST) has discovered that the bacterium Ewingella americana, isolated from the intestines of Japanese tree frogs (Dryophytes japonicus), possesses remarkably potent anticancer activity. This research has been published in the international journal Gut Microbes. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-gut-bacteria-amphibians-reptiles-tumor.html Mon, 15 Dec 2025 19:20:04 EST news685036157 It's no surprise that dogs benefit people's mental health. In a paper published in iScience, researchers point to a reason as to why: dogs prompt changes in the collection of microbes that live in and on our bodies, resulting in an increase in mental health benefits. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-family-dogs-boost-adolescent-mental.html Wed, 03 Dec 2025 11:00:13 EST news683887801 Sleep is one of the essential physiological needs for human survival, alongside food, water and air. But sleep is socially driven, influenced by environmental and personal factors, and a recent study suggests it may be affected by fragments from bacteria. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11-gut-microbes-links-deprivation.html Mon, 24 Nov 2025 14:43:04 EST news683217781 The internet, libraries and bookshops are full of plans and advice on how to lose weight, from fad diets to intense exercise routines. But there could be another route to keeping the pounds away, and that's with a gut bacterium called Turicibacter. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11-gut-bacterium-key-tackling-obesity.html Fri, 14 Nov 2025 13:20:01 EST news682348160 A research team led by the Department of Clinical Oncology, Center of Cancer Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), has identified a critical factor contributing to the failure of liver cancer immunotherapy. The study discovered that the gut bacterium Phocaeicola vulgatus can disrupt the immune system, leading to resistance to immunotherapy in some liver cancer patients. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11-gut-bacterium-sabotage-liver-cancer.html Thu, 13 Nov 2025 09:40:02 EST news682249056 Scientists at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity (Doherty Institute) have uncovered how the gut microbiota help the immune system fight melanoma, explaining why patients with a fiber-rich diet and balanced gut bacteria tend to respond better to cancer immunotherapies. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11-microbiome-fiber-rich-diet-melanoma.html Tue, 11 Nov 2025 11:27:04 EST news682082821 Nearly 20 million people die every year from cardiovascular diseases, the leading cause of death worldwide. Genetic and environmental factors influence a person's risk of disease and severity, but microbes likely also play a critical role, particularly in the development of coronary artery disease (CAD). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11-gut-microbes-play-role-coronary.html Thu, 06 Nov 2025 09:00:02 EST news681558230 Nitrogen metabolism of gut bacteria can provide health benefits. Specifically, gut microbes metabolize dietary nitrates and nitrites and prevent the formation of cancer-causing compounds called nitrosamines. New research published in The FEBS Journal sheds light on these processes and pinpoints which types of bacteria are most important. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11-insights-gut-microbes-formation-cancer.html Wed, 05 Nov 2025 03:10:06 EST news681468061 A comprehensive review published in Brain Medicine illuminates the intricate connections between gut microbiota and sleep regulation, establishing the microbiota-gut-brain axis as a critical pathway in understanding and potentially treating sleep disorders. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11-exploring-interactions-gut-microbiota-disorders.html Tue, 04 Nov 2025 01:00:01 EST news681385093 Low body weight in young women has been linked to a range of health concerns, including disrupted menstrual cycles, infertility, weakened immune function, and a long-term decline in bone density. Japan has seen a rising trend in the proportion of underweight women between the ages of 20 and 39, with little to no change over the past two decades. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-10-underweight-unbalanced-gut-microbial-diversity.html Fri, 31 Oct 2025 10:56:04 EDT news681126962 Mice that switched from a high sugar/butter diet to a standard diet developed a strong preference for alcohol over water, in a study exploring the connection between gastrointestinal microorganisms and alcohol use disorder (AUD). The findings, published in the journal Alcohol, Clinical and Experimental Research, may help lead to new treatments for AUD. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-10-diets-high-sugar-butter-gut.html Thu, 30 Oct 2025 13:32:03 EDT news681049922 For patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), alterations in gut microbiota are associated with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) outcomes, according to a study published online Sept. 29 in The American Journal of Gastroenterology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-10-gut-microbiota-linked-health-quality.html Wed, 22 Oct 2025 17:08:04 EDT news680371681 Researchers at Maastricht University and the University of Copenhagen report that incorporating sweeteners and sweetness enhancers within a healthy, sugar-reduced diet supported one-year weight loss maintenance and coincided with microbiota shifts toward short-chain fatty acid and methane-producing taxa in adults with overweight or obesity. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-10-year-dieting-sugar-sweeteners-weight.html Wed, 22 Oct 2025 11:10:01 EDT news680347821 Malnutrition is a common but difficult-to-manage complication for people with cancer, especially those treated with intensive chemotherapy. Now, new research from the University of Adelaide has delivered new insights into the way nutrients are provided for people with blood cancer to ensure they maintain adequate nutrition during treatment. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-10-malnutrition-people-blood-cancer.html Wed, 22 Oct 2025 09:21:03 EDT news680343662