Gastrointestinal Tract News and Research

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MIT researchers develop new way to deliver RNA in a capsule

Like most vaccines, RNA vaccines have to be injected, which can be an obstacle for people who fear needles. Now, a team of MIT researchers has developed a way to deliver RNA in a capsule that can be swallowed, which they hope could help make people more receptive to them.

1 Feb 2022

Coffee found to have a stimulating effect on some digestive processes

A new scientific review, published in Nutrients, highlights coffee's effects on digestion and the gut, and its impact on organs involved in digestion.

19 Jan 2022

People with inflammatory bowel disease have more fecal microplastics

Microplastics -; tiny pieces of plastic less than 5 mm in length –– are everywhere, from bottled water to food to air. According to recent estimates, people consume tens of thousands of these particles each year, with unknown health consequences.

23 Dec 2021

Research finds significant diversity among gorilla microbiomes

A new study led by North Carolina State University and the Denver Zoo sheds light on the gut microbiome of gorillas, moving researchers closer to developing tools that can use the microbiome to diagnose potential health challenges for gorillas in human care.

1 Dec 2021

Antibodies play a major role in managing gut mycobiota, says study

According to recent research, antibody protection against harmful forms of fungi in the gut might be disrupted in some patients with Crohn’s disease.

25 Nov 2021

Researchers expand understanding of how T cells recognize infections or disease

T cells communicate with other cells in the body in search of infections or diseases. This crosstalk relies on specialized receptors known as T cell receptors that recognize foreign molecular fragments from an infection or cancer that are presented for detection by particular molecules called major histocompatibility complex (MHC) or MHC-like.

23 Nov 2021

Research demonstrates how diet affects immunity through the gut microbiome

The cliché "you are what you eat" has been used for hundreds of years to illustrate the link between diet and health. Now, an international team of researchers has found the molecular proof of this concept, demonstrating how diet ultimately affects immunity through the gut microbiome.

From Harvard Medical School 17 Nov 2021

Microbiome discovery may help improve treatment for patients facing gut damage

University of Calgary researchers probing the gut -; "the inner tube of life" -; have for the first time discovered specific factors in its workings that in the future may help improve treatment for patients facing gut damage or gastrointestinal disease.

15 Nov 2021

Research reveals how foodborne infections protect the gut's nervous system

A simple stomach bug could do a lot of damage. There are 100 million neurons scattered along the gastrointestinal tract-;directly in the line of fire-;that can be stamped out by gut infections, potentially leading to long-term GI disease.

1 Nov 2021

Research shows how viticultural trash from red grapes could be a nutritive treasure

Pomace – the mashed, leftover pulp from red grapes in the early process of making wine – is considered byproduct rubbish.

19 Oct 2021

Study provides insights on mucin degradation mechanisms by a group of gut bacteria

Recent research identified that a single sulfatase adds to the degradation of mucus that safeguards the intestinal lining.

13 Oct 2021

Study credits gut microbiota for the presence of maternal IgA in milk

Maternal antibodies are transmitted through breastfeeding, safeguarding the gastrointestinal tracts of infants from numerous pathogen-caused infections.

9 Sep 2021

AI model helps predict which viruses are likely to spread from animals to humans

A new model that applies artificial intelligence to carbohydrates improves the understanding of the infection process and could help predict which viruses are likely to spread from animals to humans. This is reported in a recent study led by researchers at the University of Gothenburg.

16 Jun 2021

Kirigami-inspired stent could deliver drugs to tubular organs

Inspired by kirigami, the Japanese art of folding and cutting paper to create three-dimensional structures, MIT engineers and their collaborators have designed a new type of stent that could be used to deliver drugs to the gastrointestinal tract, respiratory tract, or other tubular organs in the body.

From Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) 15 Jun 2021

News study may lead to future therapeutic strategies against obesity, diabetes

The gut and the brain communicate with each other in order to adapt satiety and blood sugar levels during food consumption. The vagus nerve is an important communicator between these two organs.

3 Jun 2021

Light-controlled on/off switch can help reset the biological clock

The biological clock is present in almost all cells of an organism. As more and more evidence emerges that clocks in certain organs could be out of sync, there is a need to investigate and reset these clocks locally.

26 May 2021

Study shows how human viruses are better adapted to infect certain tissues

The world’s first systematic study has explained how SARS-CoV-2 and other human viruses are more adapted to infect specific types of tissues..

17 Mar 2021

Components of Neanderthals' gut microbiota are essential for human health

Neanderthals' gut microbiota already included some beneficial micro-organisms that are also found in our own intestine.

5 Feb 2021

Microbe found in the colon may promote breast cancers

A microbe found in the colon and commonly associated with the development of colitis and colon cancer also may play a role in the development of some breast cancers, according to new research from investigators with the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and its Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy.

7 Jan 2021