Scientists find hidden populations within common gut bacteria
Researchers at the University of Vienna have discovered hidden, specialized populations within common gut bacteria species, some linked to conditions like colorectal cancer and type 2 diabetes. These bacterial populations can spread rapidly across continents, challenging previous assumptions about gut microbiome studies.
Why it matters
This finding could revolutionize how scientists study the gut microbiome's link to disease, allowing for more precise identification of disease-causing or protective bacterial groups and potentially leading to new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.
The human gut is home to trillions of microorganisms that together form the gut microbiome. These microbes play important roles in digestion, immune function and metabolism. Now, researchers led by the University of Vienna have found that common gut bacteria may be more complex and more transmissible than previously thought.The study found hidden populations within several common bacterial species. Some of these populations were associated with advanced age, colorectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and type 2 diabetes. The researchers also found evidence that some bacterial populations can spread between people and across continents, Science Daily reported.In some cases, these bacterial populations appear to have expanded across continents within only a few decades. Such rapid international spread has mainly been observed in pathogens in earlier research.
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