Feb 28, 2020 | Food Allergies, Immunology
A selection of health news from the University of Chicago and around the globe curated just for you.
UChicago celiac disease researchers build a better mouse
Research breakthroughs on celiac disease depend in large part on a reliably valid animal model. Bana Jabri, MD, PhD, and researchers at the Duchossois Family Institute have rigorously demonstrated the mouse model they developed is a vital tool in making progress. (Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News)
Too many hospitalized kids get antibiotics they don’t need
Overuse poses an increasing threat to children, encouraging drug-resistant infections that are difficult or impossible to treat. Unfortunately, 25 percent of hospitalized children get inappropriate treatment. (Futurity)
Diagnosing deadly infections faster with new genomic tests
The time it takes to culture deadly bacteria and identify the right antibiotic can sometimes make the difference between life and death. Faster, more accurate identification of pathogens can save lives and reduce drug-resistant infections. (New York Times)
Benefits of getting a lung infection as a young adult?
After a young adult recovers from a lung infection, some immune cells that came to the rescue seem to stay in the lungs, protecting the patient against pneumonia in the future. (Futurity)
Janelle Monae and eating fish? UChicago doctor/chef breaks it down.
The singer/actress chalked up a scare about possible mercury poisoning to a pescatarian diet. Gastroenterologist Ed McDonald weighed in to relieve worry, with advice about the health benefits of eating fish. (Billboard)
Sep 27, 2019 | Food Allergies, Immunology, Microbiome, News Roundup, Research
A selection of health news from the University of Chicago and around the globe curated just for you.
Will these startups help biotech take root in Chicago?
Tom Gajewski is stepping into the spotlight with Pyxis Oncology, a cancer-therapy startup. He and co-founders John Flavin and David Steinberg raised $22 million to launch the spinout from his lab. (Crain’s Chicago Business)
Can gut bacteria heal food allergies?
How manipulating the microbiome could reverse and prevent peanut allergies and more. Cathryn Nagler featured. (Elemental by Medium)
Study finds an unexpected link between farming and immune system evolution
A new study by University of Chicago Medicine genetic researcher Luis Barreiro found the immune systems of hunter-gatherers showed more signs of positive natural selection, in particular among genes involved in the response to viruses. (phys.org)
Wash U team finds the ‘signature’ of guts that don’t get c. diff
Researchers have found the molecular signature of a healthy gut microbiome—the kind of bacterial community that keeps Clostridium difficilein check even in the aftermath of antibiotic treatment. (Futurity)
With new grants, Gates Foundation takes an early step toward a universal flu vaccine
Scientific teams from inside and outside the world of influenza research have been awarded funding to try to unlock mysteries that could provide the foundation for a future universal flu vaccine. Patrick Wilson featured. (STAT)
Human breast milk may help babies tell time via circadian signals from mom
The composition of breast milk changes across the day. Researchers believe this “chrononutrition” may help program infants’ emerging circadian biology. (The Conversation)
Just four nights with less sleep can alter fat storage
Restricting sleep for just four days alters how the body metabolizes fats and changes how satisfying meals seem, according to a new study with 15 healthy men. (Futurity)
Jul 31, 2019 | Food Allergies, Microbiome
A selection of health news from the University of Chicago and around the globe curated just for you.
How the microbiome influences drug action
Through their effects on metabolism and immunity, bacteria in the gut affect whether medications will be effective for a given patient. Tom Gajewski featured. (The Scientist)
A groundbreaking study is good news for cats—and people
UChicago researchers studying the cat-poop parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, made a breakthrough that will spare a lot of felines from research. Rima McLeod featured. (The Atlantic)
UChicago cancer startup gets $22 million
The immunotherapy company, based on the research of UChicago’s Tom Gajewski, will be run from Boston. (Crain’s Chicago Business)
Can gut bacteria heal food allergies?
Recent scientific work suggests that food allergies have spiked in the past few decades because environmental changes have wiped out the gut bacteria needed for coping with allergens. Cathryn Nagler featured. (Elemental by Medium)
Graphene and germ combo paves way for futuristic tech
Researchers have created a method to produce graphene materials using a novel technique: mixing oxidized graphite with bacteria. (Futurity)
Nov 30, 2018 | Food Allergies, Microbiome, News Roundup
A selection of health news from the University of Chicago and around the globe curated just for you.
Researchers find promise in new treatment for food allergies
UChicago is part of clinical trial that doctors hope will lead to an FDA-approved medication for people with peanut allergy. Christina Ciaccio featured. (UChicago News)
Save the germs
With modern medicine killing off whole categories of bacteria and viruses—including benign ones that promote health—Jack Gilbert and colleagues propose a way to preserve microbes that may rescue us one day. (The New York Times)
How might the appendix play a key role in Parkinson’s disease?
Those who have their appendixes removed in young adulthood run a nearly 20 percent lower risk of developing the neurodegenerative disorder decades later or not at all, study finds. (Scientific American)
Polsky Center’s Innovation Fund renamed to honor George P. Shultz
The decision to rename the Innovation Fund was the result of a $10 million gift to the Fund from University trustee and Booth alumna Mary A. Tolan, MBA ’92. (Polsky Center)
Jeffrey Hubbell named to National Academy of Medicine
Research by Hubbell—who co-founded UChicago food allergy startup ClostraBio—has led to tools and treatments, including nanoparticle vaccines and drug delivery systems, that combat diseases ranging from influenza and type 1 diabetes to tuberculosis and cancer. (UChicago News)
Sep 28, 2018 | Commercialization, Food Allergies, Microbiome, News Roundup, Research
A selection of health news from the University of Chicago and around the globe curated just for you.
The end of an epidemic
The number of people with food allergies has exploded in recent years. A dream team of researchers from UChicago may have figured out why, and now they’re developing therapies that could end the epidemic. Cathy Nagler featured. (Chicago magazine)
UChicago startup gets $2.3 million for kidney stone prevention
Biotechnology startup Oxalo Therapeutics is closer to developing a first-of-its-kind drug to prevent kidney stones thanks to $2.3 million from the National Institutes of Health. Hatim Hassan and Yang Zheng featured. (Crain’s Chicago Business)
Science by the sea
In three weeks, there are just over 500 hours. The students in the Marine Biological Laboratory’s September intensive courses tried to use them all. Jack Gilbert featured. (UChicago Magazine)
Nasal bacteria linked to cold severity
In a study, people with certain bacteria in their noses were more likely to develop more severe cold symptoms. (U.S. News & World Report)
Brain-gut link may be way faster than we thought
New research with mice may upend our understanding of the connection between the gut and the brain, as well as appetite. (Futurity)
Jul 31, 2018 | Food Allergies, Microbiome, News Roundup, Research
A selection of health news from the University of Chicago and around the globe curated just for you.
Anglerfish and their headlamp bacteria have a crazy relationship
Researchers have sequenced and analyzed the genomes of the glowing bacteria living in the bulbs that hang off the heads of anglerfish. (Futurity)
Can a cat-poo parasite turn you into a millionaire
Scientists have discovered that people infected with toxoplasmosis are more go-getting. But that doesn’t mean we should all be trying to catch it. (The Guardian)
What the mystery of the tick-borne meat allergy could reveal
Unraveling why tick bites are suddenly causing a strange reaction in some people who eat meat could help scientists better understand how all allergies work. (The New York Times Magazine)
Could viruses attacking the microbiome be responsible for inflammatory bowel disease?
New research done in a mouse model of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has suggested that viruses called phages, which have the ability to infect and kill gut bacteria, may be involved in the disease. David Rubin featured. (Forbes)
Celiac disease: A look at what triggers it, possible prevention
Bana Jabri and colleagues at UChicago have found that a common, but mostly harmless, virus could trigger celiac disease. (KPRC 2 Houston)
