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The field of microbiome-based therapeutics is flourishing. The recent approval of Seres Therapeutics’ drug, Vowst, against C. difficile infections has spearheaded the interest in microbiome-based therapeutics.    The recent development of microbiome-based therapeutics may have contributed to a rising trend of reclassifying microbiome probiotics as pharmaceuticals. The European Union (EU) is witnessing significant progress in...

Gulf War illness (GWI) is a chronic condition significantly affecting veterans who served in the 1991 Gulf War.    A range of symptoms, including fatigue, pain, cognitive impairment, and gastrointestinal issues characterize GWI. Despite extensive research, the underlying causes of GWI are still not fully understood.   A recent study sheds some light on the...

Until recently, there has been a gap in information about the temporal changes of the gut microbiome associated with malaria infection.    To fill that gap, a recent study–  where shotgun sequences were analyzed by the CosmosID-HUB Microbiome Platform – used 16S rRNA and shotgun sequencing to analyze the rectal samples from experimentally malaria-infected macaques...

Systematic racism contributes to health inequities and partially manifests as daily episodes of discrimination. It is a threat to mental and physical health.    There are links between negative health outcomes, such as rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune inflammatory disease and chronic stress which may be induced by racism, says a recent article published on CNBC.  What...

Obesity prevalence has been skyrocketing since the 1970s globally, with the Eastern Mediterranean region being no exception.   For instance, obesity is prevalent in 20% of Saudi Arabian adults, with an elevated prevalence in females. The increase of obesity rates in adult females of reproductive age is particularly worrying, given new evidence suggesting links between...

Microbiota contributes to an array of benefits for their human hosts; digestion, vitamin production, homeostasis, immunity and the list goes on. The microbiome is first established upon exit from the sterile womb, and the mode of delivery can shape colonisation and dynamics of a newborn’s gut community. A recent article from BBC highlights gut microbiome...

The gut microbiome has clear implications for health and disease. Recent evidence of this comes from a US FDA vote for approval of the microbiome-based drug RBX2660, created by Rebiotix Inc, A Ferring Company, to treat potentially deadly bacterial infections with Clostridium difficile (Cdiff). Cdiff is a common gut bacteria that may cause severe diarrhea...

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune neurodegenerative disease targeting the central nervous system with a prevalence of around 2.8 million people globally. The etiopathogenesis of MS is multifactorial and involves environmental factors. Amongst the environmental factors, the gut microbiota is a key player modulating MS. Dietary habits drive the gut microbiome. Thus, dietary shifts change...