Yogurt: Nutrition facts

Yogurt: The Nutrition Source   Yogurt is a staple food in several cultures, originating from countries in Western Asia and the Middle East. The word yogurt is believed to be derived from the Turkish word “yoğurmak,” which means to thicken, coagulate, or curdle. Historical accounts describe nomadic herdsmen carrying milk in pouches made of animal…

A vaccine lowers LDL-cholesterol levels in non-human primates

A virus-like particle-based bivalent PCSK9 vaccine lowers LDL-cholesterol levels in non-human primates     Abstract Elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is an important risk factor in the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Inhibitors of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9), a negative regulator of LDL-C metabolism, have emerged as promising approaches for reducing elevated…

The Role of Gut Microbiota in Some Liver Diseases: From an Immunological Perspective

Abstract   Gut microbiota is a microecosystem composed of various microorganisms. It plays an important role in human metabolism, and its metabolites affect different tissues and organs. Intestinal flora maintains the intestinal mucosal barrier and interacts with the immune system. The liver is closely linked to the intestine by the gut-liver axis.  As the first…

Disease-specific loss of microbial cross-feeding interactions in the human gut

Many gut microorganisms critical to human health rely on nutrients produced by each other for survival; however, these cross-feeding interactions are still challenging to quantify and remain poorly characterized.   Abstract Here, we introduce a Metabolite Exchange Score (MES) to quantify those interactions. Using metabolic models of prokaryotic metagenome-assembled genomes from over 1600 individuals, MES…