Bacterial Research: Superhero' microbiome bacteria protect against deadly symptoms during infection ♦ New technique could prevent biofilms on catheters and medical implants

Superhero' microbiome bacteria protect against deadly symptoms during infection Once the most powerful and revolutionary of drugs, antibiotics appear to have reached their limits, due to the ability of bacteria to rapidly evolve resistance to the medicines. Now a team of scientists has found E. coli in microbiome capable of protecting the body from infectious diseases, which may help prevent antibiotic-resistant superbugs.

New technique could prevent biofilms on catheters and medical implants Biofilms -- mats of bacteria similar to the plaque that grows on teeth -- frequently coat the surfaces of catheters, and of various medical implants and prostheses, where they can threaten lives or lead to failure of the implants. Antibiotics are impotent against biofilms. Now scientists show that coating implants with 'tissue plasminogen activator' can prevent Staphylococcus aureus, the leading cause of hospital-acquired infections, from forming biofilms.

Study examines bacterial susceptibility to antibiotics used to treat gonorrhea Although gonorrhea susceptibility to the antibiotic cefixime has been improving in recent years, suggesting a halt of a drift towards antibiotic resistance, data for 2014 indicates a worsening of susceptibility.

Preventing dental implant infections Millions of dental implants are inserted every year, and often they need to be replaced due to issues such as tissue infections caused by bacteria. In the future, these infections will be prevented thanks to a new plasma implant coating that kills pathogens using silver ions.

Cardiovascular Research:New imaging agent can locate hidden blood clots ♦ Extreme makeover of the heart ♦ Cure for sickle cell in adults validated

Microbiome implicated in sickle cell disease; antibiotics can counter its effects New research on sickle cell disease (SCD) has found that using antibiotics to deplete the body’s microbiome may prevent acute sickle cell crisis and could offer the first effective strategy for warding off the disease’s long-term complications, such as organ failure. The study could also lead to better treatment for other inflammatory blood-vessel disorders including septic shock.

Whole-body PET scan with new imaging agent can locate hidden blood clots A novel radiopharmaceutical probe has the potential of providing physicians with information that could save the lives of patients with ischemic stroke or pulmonary embolism -- conditions caused when important blood vessels are blocked by a clot that has traveled from another part of the body.

Blood tests reveal early signs of cardiovascular disease risk in obese African-American teens Obese African-American teens, particularly girls, may have immune system changes that can lead to high blood pressure, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease in adulthood. Taking steps to control weight early in life may reduce inflammation and its negative effects on the cardiovascular system. Blood tests are a possible new preventive tactic to identify teens who are at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease

Extreme makeover of the heart: Matrix therapy is first FDA-approved procedure of its kind A cardiovascular team has successfully performed a first-in-the-world heart procedure on a 72-year-old attorney after suffering a large heart attack. In the emerging heart procedure cardiac matrix is directly injected into a damaged heart

Cure for sickle cell in adults validated Physicians have cured 12 adult patients of sickle cell disease using a unique procedure for stem cell transplantation from healthy, tissue-matched siblings. The new technique eliminates the need for chemotherapy to prepare the patient to receive the transplanted cells and offers the prospect of cure for tens of thousands of adults suffering from sickle cell disease.

Prenatal Birth: Molecular mechanisms within fetal lungs that initiate labor ♦ Folate bio markers determined ♦ Maternal stress alters offspring gut, brain through vaginal microbiome

Maternal stress alters offspring gut, brain through vaginal microbiome The neonate is exposed to the maternal vaginal microbiota during birth, providing the primary source for normal gut colonization, host immune maturation, and metabolism. These early interactions between the host and microbiota occur during a critical window of neurodevelopment, suggesting early life as an important period of cross talk between the developing gut and brain. Changes in the vaginal microbiome are associated with effects on offspring gut microbiota and on the developing brain.

Prenatal DDT exposure tied to nearly four-fold increase in breast cancer risk Women who were exposed to higher levels of the pesticide DDT in utero were nearly four times more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer as adults than women who were exposed to lower levels before birth.

Researchers find molecular mechanisms within fetal lungs that initiate labor Researchers have identified two proteins in a fetus’ lungs responsible for initiating the labor process, providing potential new targets for preventing preterm birth. They discovered that the proteins SRC-1 and SRC-2 activate genes inside the fetus' lungs near full term, leading to an inflammatory response in the mother's uterus that initiates labor

Folate bio markers determined An international paper on folate bio markers is part of an initiative to provide evidence-based guidance for the global nutrition and public health community. The comprehensive study on folate, an essential B vitamin required for DNA synthesis and normal growth and development, represents a consensus of the top folate scientists globally. A major birth defect affecting the spinal cord -- spinabifida, for example -- and brain can be prevented by maternal consumption of sufficient folate prior to and during the very early stages of fetal development.

Children's Health: Infant antibiotic use linked to adult diseases ♦ Treatments for childhood cancer may increase obesity risk ♦ Gut microbiome knocked out of balance

Certain treatments for childhood cancer may increase obesity risk later in life Individuals who had cancer as a child may be at increased risk of being obese due to the therapies they received during their youth. The findings may help identify cancer survivors who are most likely to become obese, and could provide a foundation for future research

Baby talk: Babies prefer listening to their own kind Scientists have discovered that 6-month-old infants appear to be much more interested in listening to other babies than they are in listening to adults. The researchers believe that an attraction to infant speech sounds may help to support the processes involved in learning how to talk.

Study matches infant stiff-joint syndromes to possible genetic origins A study has matched dozens of infantile diseases and syndromes involving muscle weakness and stiff joints to their likely genetic origins. The study's goal is to better enable physicians and geneticists to advance new treatments to help these children.

Infant antibiotic use linked to adult diseases A new study has found a three-way link among antibiotic use in infants, changes in the gut bacteria, and disease later in life.

The infant gut microbiome: New studies on its origins and how it's knocked out of balance A fecal sample analysis of 98 Swedish infants over the first year of life found a connection between the development of a child's gut microbiome and the way he or she is delivered. Babies born via C-section had gut bacteria that showed significantly less resemblance to their mothers compared to those that were delivered vaginally.