The gut microbiota to the rescue of chemotherapies

INSERM: Two species of bacteria present in the gut boost the efficacy of cyclophosphamide-based chemotherapies by optimising the antitumour immunity induced by this drug. This is reported by researchers from Inserm, Gustave Roussy, CNRS, Institut Pasteur Lille, and the Universities of Paris Sud and of Lille in an article published on 4 October in the journal Immunity.Recent studies have shown that certain gut microbes encourage tumours to grow, whereas others contribute to making cancer treatments more effective. It remained necessary to identify the nature and mode of action of the bacterial species capable of optimising the antitumour response induced by chemotherapy.

Boosting gut bacteria defense system may lead to better treatments for bloodstream infections

Dallas: An upset in the body’s natural balance of gut bacteria that may lead to life-threatening bloodstream infections can be reversed by enhancing a specific immune defense response, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have found. Research assistant Laura Coughlin, seated, Dr. Andrew Koh, and Dr. Tiffany Simms-Waldrip use an anaerobic chamber as part of a study investigating how the gut’s bacteria defense system fights off Candida albicans infection.