The findings, published Dec. 19 in Cell Reports Medicine, could have widespread clinical impact as a combination therapy with commonly used immunotherapy treatments like immune checkpoint inhibitors, which release the brakes on a patient’s own immune system to target their cancer.

Read more about Gut Bacteria Molecule Boosts Lung Cancer Treatment Response.

That’s what researchers at UF/IFAS want to know.

Their study, published in iScience on Tuesday, suggests that specific “good” gut bacteria could contribute to preventing these diseases, said Daniel Czyz, assistant professor in the UF/IFAS department of microbiology and cell science. He conducted the study along with Alyssa Walker, a UF/IFAS postdoctoral scholar, and a team of undergraduate students.

One of the key takeaways from the study is that specific bacteria from the gut microbiome affected the proteins associated with neurodegenerative diseases. The team looked at 229 strains of bacteria to see how they affected these proteins.

The gut microbiome affects physiology and molecular events throughout the body, including parts of the brain that control blood pressure and depression, newly published findings show.

The gut’s role in the two prevalent, chronic conditions was first explained by a trio of UF Health researchers in September 2019. Now, using a branch of artificial intelligence known as machine learning, the researchers have zeroed in on the specific bacteria suspected of causing depression coupled with high blood pressure.

It’s a crucial step toward the long-term goal of improving health management and developing novel treatments based on the analysis and manipulation of gut bacteria, the researchers said. The two conditions are sometimes so intertwined it has also led them to coin a new phrase: depressive hypertension. The findings were published recently in the American Heart Journal.

High blood pressure and depression are interrelated in many people, yet unlinked in others. Cardiologists and psychiatrists don’t know why. That can make diagnosis and treatment challenging, said Bruce R. Stevens, Ph.D., a professor of physiology and functional genomics in the UF College of Medicine, and the study’s lead author.

In related news

Recent research suggests that people with these conditions exhibit changes in the bacterial composition of their digestive tract. However, given the vast diversity of microbes found in the human body, identifying which bacteria may be associated with neurodegeneration is like finding a needle in a haystack.

Seeking that proverbial needle, scientists at the University of Florida are looking in an unexpected place: the digestive tract of a tiny, translucent worm called Caenorhabditis elegans.

New research published in PLOS Pathogens establishes, for the first time, a link between specific bacteria species and physical manifestations of neurodegenerative diseases. The study’s lead author is Alyssa Walker, a microbiology and cell science doctoral candidate in the UF/IFAS College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.

“Looking at the microbiome is a relatively new approach to investigating what causes neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, we were able to show that specific species of bacteria play a role in the development of these conditions,” said Daniel Czyz, Walker’s dissertation advisor.

In related news