Transplanting fecal bacteria to treat diseases has been very popular in recent years

  Transplant fecal bacteria from one person's intestines into another person's intestines?

Who came up with such a disgusting thing!

The answer is: very professional medical researchers.

  And they not only think so, but they have done it a long time ago: In recent years, the related research results of "fecal bacteria transplantation" have repeatedly brought new discoveries in the international medical community. Not long ago, the latest findings of related research centers in the United Kingdom and Italy Yes: The transplantation of fecal bacteria for the elderly may restore the cognitive decline caused by aging; researchers at the University of Helsinki in Finland preliminarily inferred through small-scale experiments: feeding babies born by caesarean section with mother's fecal bacteria can benefit the baby’s immune system .

  These two "nausea" findings related to excrement were published in the authoritative medical journals "Microbiology" and "Cell", and received extensive attention from the academic community.

  Combining various previous related studies, the medical community has now fully realized that the influence of the microbial community in the intestine on human health far and profoundly surpasses the digestive system.

  Latest discovery

  "Old-Young" transplants to be reversed

  The paper published in "Microbiology" showed that the researchers first transplanted fecal bacteria for young mice, and the fecal bacteria transplanted to them came from adult mice.

  Dr. David Wozuk from the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom said: "Research has shown that the aging process may be related to our intestinal flora. Recently, we have discovered that the two-way communication between the intestine and the brain (also known as the intestinal brain Axis'), plays an important role in shaping behavior and cognitive function."

  After completing the transplant, the research team evaluated the anxiety, exploratory behavior, and memory level of the young mice.

They found that the young mice did not show significant changes in indicators such as anxiety, exploratory behavior, or exercise ability, but when they were placed in the maze, they showed signs of memory impairment and decreased spatial learning ability.

  Recalling that the first symptoms of Alzheimer's patients are memory loss and not knowing the way, these two signs are naturally attracting attention.

  However, the researchers have not yet transplanted the fecal bacteria from juvenile mice to adult mice. They just speculate based on the theoretical reverse. This paper mainly expresses that age-related changes in the gut microbiome can affect the central nervous system. , Highlighting the importance of the gut-brain axis in the aging process.

  Experts specially remind: Don't imitate without authorization

  Babies delivered by caesarean section are usually at higher risk of asthma and allergies. This may be because they were not exposed to the microbiota in the mother's birth canal, which is not conducive to the development of the immune system.

  Just this month, a paper published in the "Cell" magazine proposed such a seemingly "radical" method: Dilute a small amount of fecal bacteria from the mother and feed it to the newborn immediately.

Research reports indicate that the risk of asthma in newborns thereafter is more similar to that of babies born normally.

  When babies are born, their immune systems are not yet mature, but once they start living outside, their immune systems will mature with exposure to microorganisms.

Although everyone’s microbiota is individualized, the overall pattern of colonization of the intestinal flora of babies born naturally and those born by caesarean section is different.

  This experiment screened seven mothers who planned to have a C-section as volunteers, and received fecal microbiota transplantation soon after their babies were born.

The researchers found that when these babies were three months old, their microbiota was similar to that of naturally delivered babies, but different from the microbiota of babies born by caesarean section and their mothers.

  One of the authors of this paper and an expert on the Human Microbiome Research Program at the University of Helsinki, Wei Liem De Vos, especially emphasized: “This is not an experiment designed for safety research. We have found it to be effective and support Vertical transmission from mother to baby. But-please don't do it at home! The safety and suitability of the samples must be tested."

  Previous research

  Intestinal flora transplantation improves autism

  It is difficult for children with autism to communicate normally with others, and it is difficult for them to live in harmony with the world around them.

But this disease is not what many people think: it only occurs "in the head."

These children often also have gastrointestinal problems of varying degrees.

  In 2018, researchers from Arizona State University in the United States reported the results of their two-year trial at a microbiology society: fecal bacteria transplantation can not only help children with autism get rid of stomach discomfort, but also improve autism-related diseases behavior.

  Scientists have discovered that children with autism tend to have fewer types of gut bacteria than other children.

So researchers want to know whether transplanting healthy gut bacteria to children with autism can improve their gastrointestinal problems?

  First, the research team used antibiotics to kill all the bacteria in the child's intestines.

Next, the researchers isolated bacteria from the feces of people with healthy gut flora.

Then transplant these fecal bacteria to the patient.

  In the two months after treatment, most children reported fewer gastrointestinal problems, and significantly fewer problems with diarrhea, constipation, stomach pain, and indigestion.

At the same time, what is more surprising is that their behaviors related to autism have also improved, and the level of hyperactivity or stereotyped behavior is significantly lower than before treatment.

  Researchers believe that because younger brains are more flexible and more plastic, starting bacterial transplantation before school age may provide better results.

  In the past two years, more and more studies have pointed out that gut microbes are closely related to autism.

The neurotoxins released by harmful bacteria and viruses in the intestinal tract can be transmitted to the central nervous system through the intestinal vagus nerve, causing nervous system dysfunction, leading to abnormal behaviors.

  The beneficial flora brought about by fecal bacteria transplantation can effectively balance the intestinal flora, repair the permeability of the intestinal tract, and reduce the manifestations of gastrointestinal and various neurodevelopmental disorders.

  Specific gut bacteria help cancer immunotherapy

  From the age of two and a half years, hundreds of microorganisms reside in a person's intestines for life.

Most of these microorganisms are harmless and can help the body to do many things, including: resisting pathogens and protecting your health; absorbing sugar and alcohol from food residues to provide energy for the body; breaking down drugs and releasing active ingredients; helping bile Acid metabolism; manufacturing nutrients and synthesizing vitamins; affecting the development and function of the central nervous system.

  Due to various reasons such as genes, diet, hygiene, antibiotics, delivery methods, etc., everyone has different intestinal bacteria.

In recent years, scientists have discovered that the intestinal flora is related to many diseases, including: Clostridium difficile infection, enteritis, diabetes, autism, dementia, depression, asthma and so on.

  In recent years, many studies have shown that the intestinal flora is related to cancer.

In September 2019, a research team from Imperial College London found that among nearly 200 cancer patients, if cancer patients undergoing immunotherapy have recently used antibiotics, their treatment effect and survival rate will be significantly reduced.

  According to experts, it may be because antibiotics disrupt the balance of intestinal flora, which in turn affects the immune system.

  A research team at the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary in Canada found that the efficacy of an immunotherapy may depend on specific gut bacteria.

They clarified how specific bacteria enhance the ability and function of T cells (immune cells that attack and destroy cancer cells in the human body).

"However, how the bacteria do it is still unclear."

  The secret in the gut of a marathon runner

  In 2019, a new study was published on the "Nature Medicine" website: There is a special type of bacteria in the intestines of outstanding marathon runners that can help them improve their athletic performance.

  Researchers from Harvard University recruited 15 athletes to participate in the marathon, as well as 10 ordinary people who sit for a long time as a control.

During the week before and after the athletes compete in the marathon, the researchers collected their stool samples and sequenced the bacterial genes.

  The results found that there is a type of bacteria that has the greatest difference in the intestinal flora of marathon runners before and after exercise: after the competition, the number of this bacteria in the intestines increased significantly.

So, is this bacteria related to the athlete's athletic ability or recovery after exercise?

  Researchers isolated a strain of this bacterium from a stool sample of an athlete and inoculated it into the intestines of mice. As a result, the exercise capacity of these mice was significantly increased, and the time they spent running on a special treadmill (running wheel) was obvious. extend!

  After further analysis of the mechanism, they found that this bacteria uses lactic acid as the only carbon source.

During exercise, lactic acid is produced during the metabolic process of muscle consumption of glucose. Due to the relatively excessive long-distance running and insufficient oxygen supply, the produced lactic acid cannot be quickly decomposed, which leads to a large amount of accumulation in the body, which in turn causes local muscle soreness.

  Could it be that this kind of bacteria can break down the lactic acid after exercise and help athletes recover quickly?

The researchers immediately did a series of experiments, and the answer is really so.

  Moreover, not only the intestinal flora can affect exercise capacity, but exercise can also affect the intestinal flora in turn: In 2018, researchers from the Finnish Academy of Sciences discovered that endurance exercise training changed the composition of the intestinal flora.

After six weeks of training, the harmful microorganisms in the intestines of the athletes decreased, and the beneficial microorganisms related to metabolism increased.

  In addition, two studies conducted by the University of Illinois in the United States found that compared with sedentary people, the intestinal flora of the former is more conducive to health.

  (Comprehensive/Grace)