Free Republic

Recent studies indicate that inflammation is one of the causes of the development of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Inflammation may result from past infections, metabolic disorders, but also from the state of functioning of the intestinal microbiota. In this new study, researchers aimed to assess whether the diagnostic lipid parameters for metabolic syndrome and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are related to the immunoexpression of interleukins in prostate tissue with benign hyperplasia. The study involved 103 men with BPH, who were divided into two groups depending on the presence of MetS. "We analyzed tissue immunoexpression of two proinflammatory interleukins: IL-6, which...

Researchers are testing a drug against obesity and diabetes, and now a team reports that substance has a beneficial effect on mice with experimental lung cancer. The substance is the short-chain fatty acid propionate, which is naturally produced by bacteria in our gut. This new research study shows that treating mice with lung cancer with propionate can reduce the occurrence of metastases. The study also demonstrates a role for propionate in increasing the effectiveness of Cisplatin, a commonly used drug for lung cancer patients. One of these programs is called EMT (epithelial-mesenchymal transition), which existed even when we were still...

Metabolites produced by gut bacteria during digestion can be used to trigger an immune response against colorectal cancer cells, according to new research that points toward a potential treatment for one of the deadliest forms of cancer. The research team found that the metabolites activate a molecule on the surface of the cancer cells that attracts immune cells, called T cells. The metabolites are also able to enter the nucleus of the cancer cells and alter their DNA, which further attracts the attention of the immune system. "What we saw is that these products regulate a key molecule on the...