Microbiome therapeutic shows promise in recurrent C. difficile

CP101, an investigational microbiome therapeutic, restored microbiome diversity and prompted a sustained clinical cure among patients with recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection, according to a presentation at this year’s ACG in Las Vegas. “(The c. dif) therapies lead to significant microbiome disruptions which impairs colonization resistance,” Jessica R. Allegretti, MD, MPH, FACG, the director of fecal

Promising results for new oral microbiome drug for C. diff

In PRISM3, a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2 trial, researchers assessed an investigational oral microbiome drug CP101 in 206 patients with recurrent C. difficle at 51 sites across the United States and Canada. The drug did meet the primary endpoint of sustained clinical cure among 74.5% of the patients with recurrent C. difficile who received a

C. dif and IBD patients benefit from FMT

Patients with both Clostridiodes difficile infection and inflammatory bowel disease showed improvement after fecal microbiota transplantation, Jessica Allegretti, MD, director of the FMT program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said during a presentation at Digestive Disease Week. The ICON study took place at four sites across the US. Results for FMT in C. dif alone

Fluoroquinolone risks expanded

The FDA recently released results of a review that found an increased risk of aortic ruptures or tears with the use of fluoroquinolones.  As part of the safety warning, the FDA has recommendations for providers, including avoidance of fluoroquinolones in patients with a history of aortic aneurysm or those at risk for an aneurysm; to

Low-gluten diet benefits may be due to low fiber

Healthy adults had less bloating, increased well-being, and a small but significant weight loss on low-gluten compared with high-gluten diets, a study published in Nature Communications found. However, the study found those benefits may be linked to the diet’s dietary fiber rather than lack of gluten. “Gluten-free may not necessarily be the healthy choice many

Weeding out the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ of probiotics for our patients

Dr. Hecht is Professor of Medicine and Microbiology/Immunology and Chief, Gastroenterology and Nutrition at Loyola University Chicago.  She is the former President of the American Gastroenterological Association. In a guest commentary in cooperation between the American Gastroenterological Association and Healio, Dr. Hecht offers advice on how health care professionals can best discuss probiotics with their patients. See the article

Gut Bacteria May Contribute to Multiple Sclerosis

A study recently published in the seminal scientific journal Nature suggests that byproducts of microorganisms living in the gut may influence the progression of neurodegenerative diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS). The proposed mechanism is via control of the interaction of microglia and astrocytes. Microglia and astrocytes modulate inflammation and neurodegeneration in the central nervous system (CNS). The findings may