Research Highlight – Page 2

Evaluating the “Pro” of Probiotics: No Benefits of Lactobacillus therapy for Pediatric Acute Gastroenteritis

Post author:MicrobeTO
Post published:July 13, 2020
Post category:Research Highlight

While the verdict is still out on the benefits of probiotics, these supplements command a multibillion-dollar global market. Numerous clinical trials have aimed to determine the usefulness of probiotics, however, many have been hampered by limitations such as insufficient sample size. In this study, Freedman et al. investigate the efficacy of probiotics in the treatment of viral-induced pediatric acute gastroenteritis.

Using Antioxidants to Treat Bacterial-Induced Colorectal Cancer

Post author:MicrobeTO
Post published:June 30, 2020
Post category:Research Highlight

The link between IBD and colon cancer is widely accepted. Irrazabal et al. establish a fascinating mechanistic link between these two devastating diseases. The pathobionts underlying IBD produce metabolites which lead to the increased production of reactive oxygen species, damaging the host DNA, and leading to tumorigenesis. Promisingly, the authors find that antioxidants can effectively treat this is mouse models.

Microbes that Clean Up: Bioremediation of Pesticide-Polluted Banana Fields

Post author:MicrobeTO
Post published:June 21, 2020
Post category:Research Highlight

The historic use of chlordecone as a pesticide to control banana weevil infestations has resulted in pollution of large land areas in the French West Indies. With a project spanning eight years, University of Toronto researchers provide evidence that bioremediation may be a viable approach to decontaminate chlordecone polluted grounds.

A Pathogen’s Passport: Implications of an Increasingly Connected World

Post author:MicrobeTO
Post published:June 17, 2020
Post category:Research Highlight

Throughout history, human travel has been heavily implicated in the spread of infectious disease. Increased connectivity via air travel can further facilitate the geographic spread of infectious diseases to vulnerable countries. Tuite and colleagues describe trends in international air passenger numbers and connectivity between countries with different capacities to detect and respond to infectious disease threats.

Killing Two Birds With One Stone: Preventing HIV Infection by Treating Parasitic Worms

Post author:MicrobeTO
Post published:June 11, 2020
Post category:Research Highlight

Schistosomiasis has been associated with increased HIV acquisition. Yegorov et al. explored the impact of S. mansoni treatment on HIV susceptibility and discovered that schistosomiasis therapy reduced ex vivo HIV viral entry into both mucosal and systemic CD4+ T cells. Transcriptomic analysis identified up-regulation of global interferon IFN-I pathways and antiviral genes post-Sm treatment, which help explain reduced HIV infectivity. These findings could help guide HIV prevention programs in regions with high endemic disease burden.