Only one link this week, because it is a longer article, so the other two I had for this week about why high-heeled shoes are bad and shrimp on Prozac will wait till next week.
How Microbes Defend and Define Us
AN article about my favorite gross-out medical procedure - fecal transplant.
Dr. Khoruts mixed a small sample of her husband’s stool with saline solution and delivered it into her colon. Writing in the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology last month, Dr. Khoruts and his colleagues reported that her diarrhea vanished in a day. Her Clostridium difficile infection disappeared as well and has not returned since.
It's not really completely about that, it is more about recent advances in our understanding of the bacteria that live in and on our body. Bacterial cells outnumber human cells by about 10 to 1, and scientists are just beginning to understand the roles they play. Current research highlighted here using DNA sequence analysis is uncovering a surprising amount of uniqueness to each person's bacterial load. Each "environment" on the human body has its own set of microbes, and each person may have all or part of the population.
There is even variability within one person:
Only 17 percent of the species living on one person’s left hand also live on the right one.
That number is very interesting, just based on the number of times our right and left hands come in contact. (As I read that sentence, I noticed that my hands were on top of each other and immediately moved them away from each other. Didn't want right-hand-bacteria on my left hand, I guess.)
The article also goes into current evidence for a link between microbe exposure as a baby and health later in life.
[M]any diseases are accompanied by dramatic changes in the makeup of our inner ecosystems. The Imperial College team that discovered microbes in the lungs, for example, also discovered that people with asthma have a different collection of microbes than healthy people.
All of this research may be leading to potential new treatment options for many diseases: the use of probiotics, or helpful bacteria. Just not the ones found in a container of yogurt. Those "probiotics" don't really do much for you.
I am going to stop here, before this becomes a skepticism/critical thinking/evidence-based decision making post. I am sure there will be at least one of those this summer.
40 comments:
It's amazing how much information can be obtained from just one article. Learning about the bacterial cells, species, and microbes found in one person's body is frightening, yet fascinating. That even the mouth alone holds between 500 to 1000 species makes me want to run and brush my teeth ten times a day. If anything, this article could be used to persuade one to maintain a good hygiene.
I was also intrigued by beginning of the article regarding the process of bacteriotherapy/fecal transplantation. I truly wasn't aware of this procedure until I read this article, probably because it had only been carried a few times over the past few decades. Dr. Khoruts cured his patient's serious case of constant diarrhea, which had left her in a wheelchair wearing diapers, by using her husband's bacteria, which caused the diarrhea to vanish within a day.
The more scientists learn and understand these microbes, the closer we become to finding cures for the diseases that capture the lives of many everyday.
Though most people, germophobic or not, won't want to think about the number of germs and microbes that live within them, scientists are starting to understand the vital role they play. Curing patients with lack of bacteria with bacteriotherapy/fecal transplantation is only the beginning of a new way to look at curing other, more damaging illnesses. The point was made however, when the article reached the comparison of babies born normally, coated with microbes from their mothers' birth canals, and babies born by Caesarean section, covered in micobes typically found on the skin of adults. The point being, even within minutes of birth, it's all about the lifestyle; you train your own immune system from the start, or consequentially become more sick more often. This being said, it is my own opinion that the people in need of bacteriotherapy, lacking essential bacteria, weren't exposed to an enviornment where their immune system's could have learned to cope with such bacteria. In another point made by the article, this is proved by the comparison of people growing up in cities versus people who grew up on farms, further from city life. Children who live on farms, where they can get a healthy dose of microbes from the soil, are less prone to getting autoimmune disorders than the children who grow up in cities. As the article concludes, some scientists argue that all these studies more or less point to the same conclusion: when children are deprived their normal supply of microbes, their immune systems aren't able to strengthen enough to help them in the future. Eventually, in some people, these poorly developed immune systems result in eagerness to release a lot of inflammation to the point where more damage is done to the host instead of the invaders.
It’s amazing to see how much our lives are controlled by the bacteria and microbes within us. I would have not expected Dr. Khoruts’ diarrhea patient to spontaneously be cured from the bacteria of her husband. I agree that scientists should look further into the study and research of microbes, bacteria, and the human body. I am surprised that little is known about the microbe despite the fact that it outnumbers human cells in the body by 10:1. With further advances in the future, this study could prove to be a panacea for all other diseases. If more groups arose like the Human Microbiome Project, maybe there would be more cures to unsolvable diseases. From the data recovered from the groups first months of work, they have barely scratched the surface of truly understanding the microbiological world. Not even halfway done with their project, the group has discovered nearly 30,000 new genes. It is evident that a lot of information is left to be discovered and learned about the microbiome. Furthermore, based on the number of species within the mouth, one can truly realize how vast and overwhelming microbes are on the world.
Blatantly, this article changes my perspective on bacteria. To think that several species of bacteria are living on my right hand, while different ones reside on my left, kind of makes me want to do two things. Wash my hands and wonder why. It is possible though that it has to do with what hand you write with. (It's actually called a person's handedness) Although it is not always the case, a person's handedness corresponds to the hand a person uses more often involving every day tasks.For example, a right handed person's right hand would contain bacteria from a pencil or pen they wrote with, while the left hand would not. Personally, I can't open a can with my right hand, and I am right handed. So the bacteria from the lid of the can would only be on my left hand.But what if I then were to fold my hands, would the bacteria travel to the other hand?
And does the bacteria found in our mouths depend on the foods we eat?
So the question stands: Why do some people contain bacteria that others don't;whether it is in their mouths, on their skin, or in their bodies? There could be so many reasons, but we haven't figured them all out yet. Even though the study focusing on babies delivered through C-section has explained babies born
vaginally are born with different
microbes on their skin than babies delievered through a C-section. This is due to the surfaces where the babies accumulated the microbes. It's suprising that they just realized that 2,000 microbes cover ever square centimeter of the lungs, when previously, they believed the lungs were completely sterile. It is also interesting that people with asthma and obese people have a whole different set of microbes in their bodies. I wonder how that works. If an obese person looses weight, do the bacteria just disapear and are replaced by "normal" bacteria when the person reaches a healthy weight? I also think a better understanding of the microbiome will assist doctors in attempting to fight dieases, and also will benefit scientists to find out what elements allow all these microbes to form in and on the body.
The more the body endures, the stronger it gets, so the more exposure humans can get to different microbes, the more immune our bodies become, and the better off we are when it comes to fighing dieases.
Fecal transplantation?! I never would’ve guessed such a medical procedure would actually be a legitimate defense against disease. However, that notion is lucidly wrong; Fecal transplantation reversed an 8 month span of a serious Clostridium difficile sickness in only one day. This is a perfect example of the importance and significance of Microbiomes. Scientists are beginning to acknowledge their vast inhabitance of our bodies. I can only imagine what kind of medical breakthroughs doctors will discover through the use and knowledge of microbiomes; As George Weinstock of the article stated, “We have over 10 times more microbes than human cells in our bodies.” Even places that medical professionals and scientists alike previously believed were sterile, such as lung tissue and babies born of caesarean section, are in fact colonized by species of bacteria! While scientists admit they are still on the tip of the iceberg in terms of understanding fully the function and potential of the microbiomes found in humans, I believe medical advances made from these micro-organisms will prove to be so significant, they will shock the world. Only time will tell, but I have faith in their potential.
I remember hearing about the fecal transplant procedure in biotech class. It still baffles me how scientists are finding uses for everything in the world, even the wastes we produce can save lives. This article shows that humans are not going in the right direction with bacterial proctection. We need bacteria to live and prosper. If we kill all of them with things such as Purell and tons of medication the human race with fall to the unseen threat. Bacteria are always evolving and adapting to the enviornment. Before we know it all these simple sicknesses will be immune to our most advanced medication and they will be able to infect us easier than ever due to our weakened immune system. I like to compare the immune system to a muscle. In order to have strong muscles you must use and train them. Same system with the immune system. If you kill all the bacteria before your immune system works the system will eventually become weak because it never does anything. Then when the body acquires a small infection or even a common cold it does not know what to do and then the bacteria or virus will cause more havoc than it would normally do.Purell and bacterial killers is a lot like Penicillin back in the day. Doctors would prescribe Penicillin for everthing and eventually bacteria evolved and they became immune to the medication. Sadly enough history tends to repeat itself.
After I got over the initial unpleasant nature of the article, I was amazed at the ability of scientists and doctors to harness this information about microbes in order to treat illness. Like Ariel, I had never heard of bacteriotherapy as a way to treat illness, but I was reassured that there are even more options for treating illness than I believed. This new use of the microbiome can lead to new possibilities in the medical world and advancements that were never thought possible before. These systems of tiny microbes are full of possibilities for the future of medicine. Different species within one body have specialized purposes, which can be utilized in new ways to treat diseases that were previously terminal. Dr. Khoruts’s fecal transplant was a simple concept, using the bacteria from the patient’s husband to save her life. Before the treatment the patient had been suffering for several months, but in one day, she was cured. It is exciting to think of what we can expect in the future from these types of procedures and the Human Microbiome Project.
On another note, it amazes me how many precautions people take in order to prevent prolonged contact with bacteria, internally and externally. These efforts are sometimes futile, considering the extensive amounts of microbes that already exist in our bodies from the second that we are born. I agree with Mark when he wrote that this overuse of antibacterial agents may cause the bacteria to mutate and become more advanced than the antibiotics themselves. However, the use of antibiotics is sometimes vital to the recovery of a patient. An immune system is of no use if the bacterial infection spreads faster than the immune system can destroy it. That is where the antibiotics come in; they specifically target the bacteria and destroy it before they can cause further damage to the body. Yes, the evolution of the bacteria is a serious threat, but is it the greater of two evils? Would a doctor rather have a patient succumb to a disease the first time around to spare them the danger that would arise if he/she was not able to treat an advanced form of the disease in the future? Overall, this was a very educational article and I am amazed at how several systems of microbes lived in, and on, my body without my knowledge.
Whenever I hear the word bacteria, it gives me a negative outlook. Bacteria in my mind's eye is disgusting, but then again there is yogurt. The fact that stool had cured a woman of an everlasting diarrhea is amazing. It goes to show that anything can be used for a good cause. It's interesting that there is a whole research team that deedicate their career in studying microbes. I always thought there was many microbes in the world. Every object has its own set of bacteria. Just like "each tooth - and even each side of each tooth - has a different combination of species."
I never though bacteria had DNA, which means that, as the article says, every one has thousands of unique bacterias. Scientists in this field can achieve alot, but not everything. This is because as they discover more and more, new microbes are born with babies everyday. But then again it'e like that in all scientific fields. It's interesting to find out that C-section born children are more prone to asthma and allergies. I never thought the way a child was born could determine whether or not he could have asthma. It's interesting to know that by simplying playing outside, one's immune system could become stronger.
This article brought up colonies of microbes, which made me think of an experiment we did in BioTech class this year. Dr. H had us put ecoli bacteria in a pitri dish and wait to see if colonies developed. The bacteria was altered so it would glow which allowed us to determine whether or not colonies had grown in our group's dish. Sadly, ours didn't work out but the other groups in the class were successful. One of the dishes had a colony that covered over 3/4 of the surface, and it got that way in less than 48 hours. It made me realize just how quickly and efficiently bacteria, and other microbes, can grow in the right conditions. Clearly, the human body is a perfect place for microbes to develop and colonize. This can be a bad thing in terms of disease causing bacteria, but a very good thing when one considers all that good bacteria does in our bodies. The good bacteria enables us to live in the harsh environments we place ourselves in, like cities. Without the protection in our noses, we would barely live past 20 with all the pathogens that enter into our bodies when we breathe.
The fact that a replacement of "misfit colonies" with healthy colonies (like the fecal transplant)can cure diseases can lead to an endless amount of people living a better quality of life. Imagine that the research into microbes allowed scientists to pin point the exact microbes that cause asthma, and other allergies, and allows them to remove those microbes from babies before they have time to colonize. Asthma itself would become a thing of the past. Of course, as mentioned by other students, microbes evolve and that cure may become useless when resistant strands begin to reproduce, but for awhile that information could prevent suffering on a global scale.
Like most of the people who commented so far, I also find the thought of fecal transplantation a little gross. Usually when people say " Oh I had to get a transplant, it saved my life", one would think "Oh nice, you're so fortunate to have gotten an organ that saved your life!". The thing is, now, a person could reply "No, no organs. Just poop."
It's quite a disturbing thought, but as the wife in the article knows, it can be a life saving procedure. Bacteria is so miniscule size-wise, yet so important in the human body.
I think if researchers keep trying these atypical solutions to problems, many good things will result leading to a healthier population as a whole.
The first thing that hit me within this article was the comment about asthma and obesity, "The Imperial College team that discovered microbes in the lungs, for example, also discovered that people with asthma have a different collection of microbes than healthy people. Obese people also have a different set of species in their guts than people of normal weight." It’s shocking to me because i have asthma myself which means i have a different collection of microbes than the common healthy person. Also, this could be a break through with obesity if they can figure out a way to help give the right set of species into overweight patients' guts to match people who have a normal weight and cure their obesity. Next is the idea of a “sterile baby coming from a germ-free environment into the world.” Due to the way the baby is born, either naturally or caesarean section can affect the babies’ health. If they come through the canal the baby is coated with microbes from the birth canal with helps their immune system while babies who were born through caesarean section were covered in microbes typically found on the skin of adults. This can mean the difference of life and death of those children as they grow up because if a disease hits them and the immune system can take care of it since it was covered from the birth canal then the person would live while if the baby was removed through surgery, the person may die since the immune system is not "educated" to get rid of the disease.
Before this article, I had no idea that this procedure was even possible. It amazes me that within a day her stool was back to normal after being put into a wheel chair& diapers, losing 60 pounds and having this problem for over eight months! The fact that only 17 percent of the species living on one person’s left hand also live on the right one made me want to run and wash my hands a million times! I agree with Ariel O., if anything this article will influence people to have a great hygiene!
I realized after reading the article that bacteria are of major importance and how much of a necessity they are in our lives. Without their presence in our bodies, we might fall victim to horrific diseases, or have our entire bodily systems destroyed by foreign microbes. The woman in the article was suffering from severe diarrhea that nearly killed her just because she didn't have the necessary bacteria to support her digestive system. This shows that bacteria can contribute positively to our body functions by preventing harmful bacteria from growing as well as helping digest food.
It's important that scientists continue to research these microorganisms to uncover their true potential. From witnessing bacteria's contributions in modern society we have achieved in using them to make fuel, medicine, and even food products. Bacteria have also been used in environmental recycling in decomposing and breaking waste and other decaying matter such as they do in our stomachs for helping decompose the food that we consume. The fecal transplant that was used to cure this women of her illness shows that bacteria can be used for good purposes.
What we can learn from this woman is that we need to be able to strengthen our immune systems in order to protect ourselves from life threatening diseases. dmboztepe makes a very interesting point in that our lifestyles have a direct impact on our health. The more we condition our bodies to fight against something, the stronger our bodies become. Another good analogy is weightlifting or body building, whereby the process of gradually tearing the muscles of the body and then allowing the body to rebuild becoming even bigger and stronger than before. A well conditioned immune system is beneficial at fighting bacteria and it obtains its conditioning by fighting bacteria.
It's also important to know that too much of a good thing can be bad such as using too much mouthwash or even drinking too much soda can harm good bacteria
When I read the part about the discovery of microbes in lungs, which were previously believed to be sterile, I thought about organs transplants. Maybe transplants sometimes fail because the body does not accept the new microbes that are in the new organ. Maybe the microbes from the donor could be different from the acceptor’s organ and his/her body’s immune system could react because it thinks they are pathogens. It’s just a thought though; I’m not experienced in the workings of organ transplants.
It’s interesting that microbes help our immune systems and bodies a lot. Their existence emphasizes the facts that small things in large amounts can do great things. Like the path of DNA, the research of microbes will be a long journey that will bring much essential information towards understanding of the human body and its impact on the world. If fecal transplant can cure Clostridium difficile, then who would not believe that the future of human microbiomes will bring us closer to the remedy of incurable diseases? Of course, with the discovery of new information come the disadvantages. While scientists study current microbiomes, time will allow for these forms to mutate into newer forms and no one may know whether those forms will be deadly or beneficial. Because of mutation, diseases will just mutate into different kinds, making research a never-ending chase.
Like many of the others who have commented, I was initially surprised upon reading about the use of fecal transplantation. While the procedure has proven beneficial and successful in previous years and in the case of Dr. Khoruts' patient in the article, I wonder how doctors first conceived of it, as it seems rather unconventional. However disgusting it may seem, there's no real reason to complain as long as the procedure works.
The article was quite interesting, but what fascinated me the most was how it spoke of human bodies serving as ecosystems to microscopic organisms. As reported in the article, scientists estimate that in the mouth alone there are between 500 and 1,000 species of microbes, with different combinations living in various parts of the mouth (i.e. teeth, tongue, etc.). To think of ourselves as hosts to millions of ecosystems and organisms completely unknown to the naked eye is astounding.
What was most peculiar to me was the fact that different people and different body parts on an individual often host differing microbe species. I wonder, as do the scientists in the article probably, what circumstances and factors contribute to such occurrences.
I apologize for the tardiness of my post.
Many people in the world live on this Earth doing their daily routines and do not shed a single thought about the indescribably large amount of flowing microbes and bacteria in their body. To many people,they just seem unimportant. Despite their microscopic size, the microbes are of vital importance in our lives, as shown in the article.
What first struck me as shocking was the very first line detached from the whole article, "Dr. Alexander Khoruts had run out of options."
As i looked at the picture i assumed he was no ordinary family doctor, but a highly scientific one. Usually these types of doctors have many ways in which they go about solving a problem. Reading that he had run out of options was a shock. As i read this article it reminded me of a old wives tale that i heard from someone long ago. It went something along the lines of males get more acne than females do, this is because they do not have the proper fluids that females have. When a couple has their "special moment" there are small transactions of fluid that the male receives. After, the fluids are in the body, it is able to work and kill off the bacteria causing acne. Now, whether this is true, it goes along the same lines of the process mentioned in the article, she did not have the normal bacteria in her, and after they transplanted some, her intestines functioned properly.
I found it strange that we know so little about the microbiome. As it says in the article, “We have over 10 times more microbes than human cells in our bodies,” said George Weinstock of Washington University in St. Louis. But the microbiome, as it’s known, remains mostly a mystery. “It’s as if we have these other organs, and yet these are parts of our bodies we know nothing about.” It seems if the microbiome has such a presence in our bodies, even outnumbering human cells, we should be familiar with its role. The Human Microbiome Project can help this and provide the research to take this field further in the curing of not only infectious diseases causes by harmful bacteria, but also non-communicable diseases. For example, research has found that obese people have a different set of bacteria in their stomachs. Obesity is mostly a result of poor diet and lack of exercise, but I also wonder if the bodies of obese people, and the bacteria in it, break down food differently. Within your group of friend, I’m sure you can see different body types and different eating habits. Some people can eat a lot of food and, even with little exercise, won’t gain much weight while others gain weight as soon as they slip up on their diets. Maybe the microbiome has an effect on this. One purpose of the microbiome is to break down complex plant molecules, especially in aiding digestion. Maybe how the bacteria break down these molecules effects how we gain weight. Perhaps a factor in obesity is the varied colonies of bacteria found in the stomach. With this research, perhaps we can use bacteria that break down plant molecules better in obese patients so that, with diet and exercise, they can lose weight faster and easier.
Before reading this article I thought I knew enough about Microbes and the way they are used. When I started reading I thought the sound of bacteriotherapy sounded kinda cool until i saw what it could also be referred to then I got grossed out. Although I was grossed out I still thought it was amazing how this type of procedure saved someones life.
In reference to the point about the sterile baby I found it very intresting to think that the way the a child is born either through natural birth or caesarean section could determine whether or not they are likely to have asthma or allergies. Further, it was intresting to know that children who grew up on farms who could always be outside obtained a healthier dose of microbes.
This type of research has come very far but there is still more that can be discovered.
It’s very interesting that microorganisms are responsible for both the progression and deterioration of our health. It is a good step in the right direction in identifying the bacteria that can cause diseases, and that exist at in the area infected in the body, as the article said was the case with asthma patients and people with healthy lungs. Finding out what type of bacteria cause the disease will then open up the possibility of an antibiotic being developed to rid the body off the harmful bacteria.
It is also interesting that the number of and types of bacteria existing human to human can greatly vary as much as the article suggests. However, it would make sense for each human being to have different types of bacteria, as no two people are exactly the same. It also is logic in a sense that people have different strengths of immune systems, and can fight diseases at different rates. This also relates to the varying bacteria in each body. Like another commenter already said, what I found shocking about the article was the information on the birth of babies. I would have assumed that babies are infected with bacteria before birth as a result of being inside a person with an abundance of bacteria for nine months. It was also fascinating to read that the birth procedure greatly affects what type of microbes are on the baby as it is born into the world. The part of the article that states how people living in different environments have different bacteria seems to comply with previous scientific studies about how environment can affect health.
It’s good for science that scientist are now making a strong effort to find out more detailed information about the effects of microorganisms. Microbes are already used to create steroids, and the fact that they can further be used to aid the health of humans is great news. Microbes are also necessary in the human digestive system, and are a necessity in the synthesis of different types of vitamins. If a person is lacking these vitamins because of the lack of microbes in the digestive system, they can now identify the problem and work on a solution. The story presented in the article about the fecal transplant should only be the beginning of procedures like this, and although this seems to be still in a preliminary stage, the 13/15 success rate is good early news. The fact that scientists in this article were able to conduct the genetic survey also should speak volumes about the advancement of science in today’s society.
This is a pretty nasty article. But, considering it comes with the territory, I'm interested.
Now, that's quite the starter. Fecal matter transplant. Honestly, the ways they come up with to cure illness these days... What happened to penicillin and soup?
Regardless of the sanitation issues that my mind is presenting myself with, it's actually pretty cool that something like that can be used to kill off an infection. Perhaps some advances in this field could prove extremely useful.
On top of this, the fact that bacteria outnumber my own cells 10 to 1 makes me feel like I need a shower... or five.
It's true that we humans are bacteria-killing machines. We are constantly killing microbes whether it be with soap, wipes, or Purell. Right now I'm in India and I can even admit that I am constantly pulling out my antibacterial wipes in fear that I will get sick. Even though our intentions are to keep and maintain good health, it sometimes slips our minds that all the killing may actually cause other health issues. Without being exposed to bacteria our immune systems don't become strong enough to handle diseases and other bacteria that invade the body. This is also an explanation of why an increasing amount of allergies are emerging in our communities.I agree with Mark K in his argument about killing bacteria. When a common cold arrives, instead of combating the disease, the immune system will create more problems. I was reading a similar article recently about how your body's bacteria can better your health. In the article the same argument is made that probiotics have the potential to completely eliminate some chronic diseases such as eczema. Despite our preconceived notions about bacteria, bacteria does have a host of good characteristics and I hope that the study of microbes do continue to find out new methods to prevent and combat disease.
Microbes, synonymous with microorganisms I learned, include the specimen of feces that Dr. Khoruts used in his procedure. By transplanting the husband’s stool into the wife’s colon, Dr Khoruts ingeniously allowed the husband’s bacteria to act in the place of the wife’s non existent ones. This advanced transplant and vast understanding of microbes does not seize to amaze the scientific community, as it has developed from a minor experiment conducted by Van Leeuwenhoek and become a life-saving procedure in only the past two decades. I had a similar problem to that of the wife, so much so I missed the last week of finals. However, since my condition only lasted a little over a week, compared to the woman’s months-worth-of agony, my doctor did not prescribe anything to inhibit my body’s “cleanse,” as he said. My doctor insisted that when the body expels germs in that manner, it is best to let it do so. The transplantation of microbes has allowed for a more intensive study of DNA and has considerably advanced the world of modern medicine.
Like many other high school students, I also would have never imagined the existence of a fecal transplantation involving microbiomes. Today, this medical treatment, also known as Bacteriotherapy, has been utilized by doctors to cure various diseases such as Clostridium difficile infection. Carl Zimmer, the author of this article, explains that within one day, the bacteriotherapy used by Dr. Alexander Khoruts safely cured his patient’s Clostridium difficile infection, a life threatening diarrhea that had endangered her life for 8 months. Because of such successful medical procedures like bacteriotherapy, an increasing number of microbiologists are investing their time and effort into understanding the vast amount of microbiomes that live within and on every human being. Through the collection and analysis of DNA, scientists have discovered that microbiomes exist in places such as the lungs have traditionally been considered to be sterile. Additionally, scientists have also learn that microbiomes, in fact, play vital roles in the lives of humans, as they help in digesting food, make antibiotics that can kill the dangerous pathogens, and guide the immune system to the proper balance. Many scientists have also associated microbiomes with different types of diseases like asthma and skin infections. As scientists continue to study the microbiomes, their findings will possibly uncover the mystery behind the microscopic organisms, provide answers to many mindboggling questions, and lead to new advancements in science as well as medicine.
I would have never thought that scientists would use a fecal transplant to save a life. Just the thought of this grossed me out. Bacteria have a negative connotation in my head. Although I know that bacteria may be helpful in strengthening the immune system, I still pull on my purell to go sized bottle when I go out. Since I was always a 'germaphobe', I have always become sick when I was in a new environment that my body wasn't use to. I guess it all comes down to strengthening the immune system by being exposed to the bacteria and germs. Ever since I was young I was a clean freak and now just the sight of dust makes me sneeze. I am constantly sneezing throughout the day because dust is inevitable. Although I take Zyrtec for my allergies, when I come back home after being outside for a few hours I begin to sneeze. I guess I shouldn't of had lived in a sanitized bubble when I was younger because it did affect my life right now. The article talks about microbe exposure as a baby and how the exposure may relate to health in older years and I agree that there is a link between it. People should not be overly obsessive when it comes to killing bacteria but some, very mild, precautions should be taken.
Like most people, I find the idea of a fecal transplant is quite disgusting, then again the idea of having microbes on every part of my body grosses me out too. However, it is interesting that these microbes can be attributed to diseases like asthma and obesity. I had heard that it was good to play in the dirt as a child because you become immune to more illnesses, but I guess I never really realized how important different microbes are to life. I hope as scientists gain a better understanding of the functions of more microbes they can begin to find more efficient treatments and cures for diseases that are either caused by a deficiency of “good bacteria” or the presence of the wrong type of it.
I have to mirror Keith's surprise and once again reiterate, "Fecal transplantation!?" The entire process seems very disgusting, yet the results are there. This woman was saved by her husband's microbes, an amazing feat. I mean, we have trouble with organ transplants in this current day and age. To think that a living thing from another's body can be transplanted with superb results is almost unbelievable.
The fecal transplant, however, only serves as a facade for the rest of the article. As I delved into the text, I realized the awe-inspiring power of microbes. Without them, our bodily enzymes would be left to fend for themselves. Evidently, microbes are necessary to our well-being. Similarly, many microbes cannot live outside of the human body. It reminds me of the mutual symbiosis we see between different species in nature, such as the Egyptian Plover and Nile crocodile. The crocodile benefits from the relationship because the Plover cleans it teeth, and the Plover in turn gets food from the teeth. Disgusting, yes, but also necessary to the well-being of both species.
I can't wait until microbes are fully understood. Their diversity is intriguing and really mysterious. I did not expect different bacteria on the side of my teeth in comparison to the front. Although it is somewhat scary to think these microbes are festering and living within me, I know realize their significance. I'm waiting for the day when their full significance is known and their full potential is tapped.
Reading a few of the previous comments, I find myself in agreement with those who found the idea of fecal transplant as a disgusting concept. Regardless of how unsanitary the procedure seems, I find it amazing that it was able to save a person's life in a matter of days. I did not know that bacteria was capable of aiding the body in such a way, particularly those found in feces.
I was also amazed by the amount of bacteria that people have on their bodies. As I read the article, I couldn't help but stare at my own hands and cringe. I had no idea that so many microscopic organisms live on my body.
In addition, I am also interested in seeing how the use of bacteria will develop over the years to come. Who knows what may be able to come of it; it could just cure similar diseases like the one named in the article, or it could possibly develop into something more.
I must say, even though this week's article wasn't the most pleasant piece to read, I learned a great deal about the influence of bacteria on the human body as well as in many of the studies scientists conduct today. Ten minutes ago, if someone were to ask me about the details in a fecal transplant, I would most likely reply with a confused look on my face! Yes I know the textbook definition and have heard of such an operation before, but I never knew what truly went on during the procedure until now.
As Kayla R stated above,it's amazing to me how the "bad" bacteria had slowly been eating away at the patient for months, but as soon as the "good" bacteria was injected into her system, she was back to normal in ONE day! This goes to show how the condition such a minuscule part of our bodies can determine whether or not we live or die. It's such a scary thought, but a truly amazing concept.
It's also fascinating to think about the different degrees of transplants. Obviously, the largest ones are for the brain and the heart, but there are others like the fecal transplant that are just as important. At the end of the day, the transplants are all changing lives-not just the lives of the patients, but the lives of all human beings who can now believe that if they were ever in situations like this, science has broken barriers to heal and help them live long, healthy lives.
When I first perused the article, my initial reaction was derived from ignorance and misunderstanding, but after reading it thoroughly a few more times, the article fascinated me. As an enthusiast of stories and movies with happy endings and miracles, it amazed me that a seemingly simple procedure of giving a person’s bacteria to a sick patient could cure the patient’s illness. Dr. Khoruts described his patient to have an ailing condition that gradually worsened for almost a year to the extent that she had to use a wheelchair and wear diapers until he carried out a fecal transplantation on his patient and it disappeared in a day. The story stunned me because all the antibiotics he gave to her had no effect on her but the bacteriotherapy worked in a day.
The article gave me a more insightful outlook on microbes especially bacteria because I never thought that bacteria could make such a positive impact on us. The only knowledge I had on the benefiting impacts of bacteria was that yogurt which contains a live culture of bacteria can aid in our digestion.
Reviewing the article, I learned so many new things on microbes. First and foremost, thousands of different species of microbes live in our body that “ even each side of each tooth—has a different combination of species”. In addition, in all the different areas of our bodies the various species are aiding our digestion, defending our bodies from pathogens and more. Moreover, these microbes have their own microbiomes and ecosystems functioning in groups just like our organ systems. Additionally, the microbes are almost as if they were just like any other cells because they “sync” with the immune system so that when our immune system fights bacteria with inflammation the system does not go to such a high level in order to not harm the microbes that are helping our body function.
Furthermore, all the diverse species of microbes have their own genes and since there are millions of variations and differences in what species are in what area of the body or another human’s it is like we have another set of “DNA” that gives us an identity of who we are and gives us more uniqueness to even blood-related family members.
Returning to Dr. Khoruts’s story, it is a shame that he used the fecal transplantation as a last resort. Hopefully in the future, doctors and scientists will have a better understanding of the microbiome and be able to treat patients with probiotics, and or come up with “God’s probioitic” like Dr. Khoruts suggested.
I agree with Shaena; this week's article was a bit unpleasant. But still, it interested me. As I continued to read through the article of Dr. H's "favorite gross-out medical procedure", I found myself thinking about all the bacteria on this Earth. Bacteria surrounds us everywhere; as I'm typing my comment using my keyboard, my hands are also accumulating bacteria (which reminds me, I should wash my hands afterwards). This past weekend, when I went camping in the woods with my friends, I couldn't stop washing my hands either! Every time I touched a part of the camp or a tree, I'd immediately wash my hands or use Purell (needless to say, I think I used about a half years worth of Purell in just three days).
Many people only look at the disgusting, negative side of bacteria and never think about the good side. The truth is, no matter how disgusting fecal transplant seems, it has proved to save a human's life. I've learned that bacteria can have so much variability, even from the same two hands of one person!
I would think that injecting myself with bacteria to save my life would be my last resort. However, the results have proven that this process is indeed extremely effective. As I read the excerpt of The Imperial College team's findings about a different collection of bacteria in a person who has asthma's lungs, I began to wonder if they could find good bacteria to treat the bad ones. Because I've has asthma for over twelve years now, I too hope that scientists could find probiotics that could treat asthma since there is still no cure for asthma. And now that I think about it, I WOULD rather go through the process of fecal transplantation (although the process still grosses me out) if I could be cured of asthma. Many who don’t have asthma won’t understand the way one feels when he or she is short of breath. I think I would give anything if my asthma could be cured!
Who knew that injecting bcteria into oneself could prove to be the difference between life and death. Even thought it sounds repulsive, fecal transplants have become a great way for people to save themselves from fatal conditions. What interested me the most is how the bacteria from her husband worked together with her own body to get her through the disease. I thought that bacteria from another person might take over the victims body and finish them, if not accepted. Bacteria have become an essential part to curing people of harmful diseases. To most people bacteria grosses them out and they only see the negatives of bacteria, but after reading this article, bacteria can be great lifesavers. Even though the process of a fecal transplant seems repulsive, if it can save lives, its worth it
When i began reading this article i was automatically fasinated. I usually do not enjoy reading these types of articles but this one had me glues to the screen.
The thought of using fecal transplant to save a life had shocked me because i never beleieved it could be used i found it disgusting.
I heard about numerous cases where transplants have saved people's lives', but I was shocked to learn that her hsubands bacteria was the womens cure. I believe if something like this can be discovered then with further research on microbes much more can be discovered by scientists. I had never thought that something so small like bacteria could help save a life.
The idea of inserting an individuals"stool" bacteria into the "gut" of another person ( did anyone else notice they said gut a lot) to cure a disease, and it actually working, is pretty significant. Initially i thought the husbands bacteria would have taken a whole different course and affected her body in a negative way, but i was mistaken. I know of heart transplants, lung transplants, and bone marrow transplants saving peoples lives..but a fecal transplant? crazy.
The fact that tons and tons of microbes, possible 10 times more than the amount of cells in our body, live throughout us is actually insane. I had no idea so many different ones inhabited us and altered depending on how we were born, raised, where we lived and so forth.
Im sure the person that can use this new information to sure athsma and other diseases, will be one rich person.
bacterias are a very intense organism. it could either be terribly bad or amazingly good! its surprising that a procedure like fecal trasplantation could be so life saving. we have come very far and sufficent that we are able to use just about anything to cure diseases. its amazing how someone can cure a disease with another's "stool"
i disagree to those who think this is gross. this is a very advanced way to save someone's life. you dont even know, maybe someones stool may save your life. it didnt surprise me that people have so much bacteria in their bodies. those bacterias probably help us in one way or another.
i like the idea of fecal transplant because there is an abundance of source.
I'll admit that I was bit apprehensive to read the article, because the idea of "fecal" transplant isn't the most appealing thing to hear about. However, I moved past that initial disgust to appreciate bacteria and new procedures. I mean, if something works, why does it matter so much that it's "disgusting." People worry so much about bacteria today (especially overprotective parents) that some don't realize all the good that bacteria does. As stated in this article, bacteria coats you the second you are born. If course, the type of bacteria on depends on the form of delivery or the people around you, or where the baby is. The thing i found most interesting about this article was the fact that where children grow up affects the strength of their immune system. If you live on farm and get true microbes from the soil, you'll healthier than a city kid. It was also interesting to know that our own hands, and even each tooth have different types of bacteria on each one. It's like each tooth, or hand, or finger, or hair is a different country and your body is a universe. And there are a million new beings to discover. People always ask about the beyond and space, when we don't really know much about the "unknown" on our own bodies. It really makes you think.
Similar to this way of treatment, I had heard of fecal transplants helping with other diseases, as well. However, I never really understood how they worked.
At the same time, I always saw bacteria in a negative sense. They were usually the harmful aspects of our body. On the contrary, this article speaks of how bacteria actually helps to keep our bodies healthy! Aside from the main story, the text also states of how bacteria in our noses aid in killing the dangerous pathogens we inhale. If such microbes can help in such aspects, it does not surprise me that this bacteriotherapy technique works.
Although, I must commend the ideas of these scientists. The thought of using the stool sample of the woman's husband to cure her diarrhea was quite ingenious!
Wow! I would have never guessed that fecal transplantation would have been the cure to something like this. (I couldn't believe that the patient had to wear diapers.) This article reminded me of a show I was watching the other day called Mystery Diagnosis. In this show, there are people who have odd symptoms who go to various doctors to get a diagnosis, but after running several tests, they don't know what's wrong with the patient. The doctors let all the patients go telling them that they are all right or telling them that if anything like that (it could a bruise showing up time and time again, weakening of muscles, bleeding, etc.) happens again, they should come back. But after realizing that the doctors can't do anything, the patients research online themselves, find information, and find a doctor that may know what's wrong with them. Finally, they have a diagnosis (the illness is a rather long name because it's the scientific name) and many times, it deals with the bacteria.
It's ironic because many people are always racing to wash their hands or put Purell on (I admit that I always do this) before they eat lunch, but some bacteria is essentially healthy for you. But which ones are healthy and which ones are harmful? For us students, we need to wash our hands to get rid of germs, but we can't see the "good" bacteria so we take every opportunity we can get to get rid of the "bad" bacteria.
This article was very interesting in that it stated facts and discoveries that I would have never found out if it weren't for this assignment. For example, "they discovered 29,693 genes that are unlike any known genes". That's a lot! But it's not only surprising to me, but to other scientists as well. Karen E. Nelson said, "This was quite surprising to us, because these are organisms that have been studied for a long time". Even if you study a particular subject for a long time, there will always be something new that you will discover. It is hard to know everything about everything, but knowing that there are scientists conducting experiments and discovering new things feels good. When I read that in the mouth alone, there are between 500 and 1,000 species, I felt my mouth become heavier. It was a strange feeling and I was a bit disgusted to know that even each side of each tooth has a different combination of species.
It's not surprising, however, that the species found in one person's body may be missing from another's body; it's just like saying we all have different physical features. It was appalling at first to know that since I have asthma, I have different set of microbes than a healthy person, but then I realized that people have asthma because something is different in their bodies,so afterward, it made sense. The fact that some microbes can only survive in one part of the body is interesting. It was also fascinating to read that only 17 percent of the species living on one person's left hand also live on the right one. When I read this, I looked at both of my hands and wished that I could see the species and small particles on my hands.
Scientists have yet more to discover and with the newly founded information and discovery of different species and ecosystems, hopefully some diseases can be cured. Just like the fecal transplant, new discoveries can be life-changing and bring hope to those who are sick.
First, I am so sorry for the tardiness for all of my blogs.
In regards to this week's article, about the microbes and the story about the patient with Clostridium difficile really made me sad. To think that a person had to undergo such painful experince which lead her crippled is unbelieveable. When her infection disappeared the day after a part of her husband's bacteria was given to her it showed how important microbes are for us and to others as well. Soon her husband's bacteria began to grow and take over. At first when someone hears the word "bacteria" most people automatically persume that it is a digusting orgamnism that needs to go, instead of realizing that that bacteria may be important for their own body.
Further down the article it also showed that microbiome are used for different reasons as well including gathering DNA, and sequencing it. I never would of tought that such a smal thing whould mean so much. Also microbiome are found everywhere in our body even in the most decieving places. Its imaginable how much we have in us. Thank God we do have microbes in our body.
At first when I read this Article I was disgusted with the whole procedure, but I soon realized that the human life was worth a lot more and it did not matter how the life was preserved. I knew that the body needed bacteria to function but I did not know the bacteria were constantly regenerating. It made sense that the intestines are the perfect place for bacteria to grow in it is a dark and moist place perfect for bacteria growth. I also read somewhere that yogurt was helpful for the digestive system, but I did not know that that the yogurt was the food providing some of the bacteria that was breaking down the food.
The bacteria in this case came from the patient’s husband. The bacterium was needed since the patient had constant diarrhea and was slowly dwindling away losing 60 pounds over eight months. The fecal transplant from the patient’s husband provided the patient bacteria to further breakdown the food. The doctor monitoring the patient noticed that her diarrhea stopped in less than a day.
my mom has serious asthma, if they could find out which microbes that healthy people have and transplant them into her lungs that would be amazing because she has so many problems with the asthma and its really inconvenient to her. looking into this stuff may turn into some serious remedies. maybe even a real panacea. it even helps with obesity! maybe it may even be the answer to AIDS, or cancer or diseases that are to us - incurable. maybe we can finally find a cure!
This article greatly caught my attention. When I read that she lost 60 pounds over the course of 8 months, I was shocked. I didn't think someone could even have a chance of surviving after losing that much weight. Later, when I read that they were transferring her husband's bacteria into her body, I had the same thoughts as Shruthi. I always thought of bacteria to be a negative and even unimportant thing when compared to other processes/parts of a body. When I think of a transplant, I always think of the heart, or kidneys, or other organs, not bacteria. Its surprising and a miracle how such a small thing like bacteria could save someone's life. It showed how technology is improving day by day to discover different things that no one can imagine and can save many lives.
Although I don't have asthma or allergies, many members in my family and a few of my friends do, so it was interesting to know how microbiomes play a huge role in this.
On a whole this article really touched me.
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