Comments on: Are those the gut microbes of an unhealthy person, or a pregnant one?

By: Carla Davidson

Carla Davidson — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 04:30:59 +0000

Ed your writing is fascinating again! And cool discussion. As for fecal transplants – I believe they were pioneered at the University of Calgary, but I should check. They are still done here but most often in patients’ homes to avoid the administrative hassle http://www.cmaj.ca/content/183/5/541.full. And not only is the microbiome important for digestion and immunity but also mood, and may be implicated in some cases of regressive autism http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22202440. And yeah, kids that grow up around farm animals or even household pets tend to have fewer autoimmune diseases, so stop with the antibacterials!

By: John Obenauer

John Obenauer — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 14:41:42 +0000

“But if such readouts can’t yet distinguish between someone in poor health, and someone with child, they clearly still have a long way to go.”

You’re not giving Koren’s research enough credit. It is very easy to tell if a woman is pregnant after a quick trip to the drugstore. If she’s not, and still has the third-trimester-like gut microflora, then she has a metabolic disorder.

By: E. McCoy

E. McCoy — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 10:56:53 +0000

Interesting work.
@Jan – yes – more funding needs to go to basic research. It’s a shame that NIH and NSF funding continues to be cut each year when there is still so much left to learn.

By: R. E. Hunter

R. E. Hunter — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 19:50:27 +0000

I can’t help but wonder how much our modern obsession with cleanliness (spreading bleach, alcohol and other antimicrobial agents everywhere in our homes, on our bodies, etc.) has to do with the increase in diseases such as allergies, asthma, obesity, cancer, and whatever else. It’s not pleasant to think about, but there’s only one route into our intestines for these bacteria.

I’ve read that in Europe C. Difficile infections are being successfully treated with fecal transplants, but so far the eww-factor has kept that treatment out of North America. In fact, a Canadian doctor was forced by the regulatory body to halt a trial of the procedure, even though it was clearly saving lives.

By: Ed Yong

Ed Yong — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 18:31:09 +0000

As to what happens after pregnancy, I asked Ley. They only took samples for the women one month after birth, and the microbes were still like they were in the third trimester. However, she says “But it does go back to normal, because for many of these women this was not their first child, and they were all normal at the first trimester.”

@Jan – Don’t worry. I think the microbiome people do a pretty good job of raising funds for this work. It’s clearly a growth area.

@Greg – Yes. Yes it is.

By: Greg Williams

Greg Williams — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 14:12:29 +0000

I have now seen articles that suggest the microbiome impacts diabetes, heart disease, cancer and all autoimmune diseases. It also may give us the ability to draw nutrients from most of the food we eat and be the reason we developed the most sophisticated part of our immune system. And now child birth. It’s astounding how deeply we depend on bacteria.

By: Jan Lunde

Jan Lunde — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 13:10:05 +0000

Please. Readers. let’s agitate potential investors to fund this research. Micro, it appears, is mightier than Macro has ever suspected. THIS is basic science.

By: QoB

QoB — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 11:39:04 +0000

Interesting. I’d love to see research on the same women after pregnancy; on women who developed GD during pregnancy; and on women who had diabetes or metabolic syndrom pre-pregnancy.

By: Bob

Bob — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 18:15:23 +0000

That is scary. I wonder when the microbiome has returned to its original state? Is some of the diversity lost forever?