Latest news with #McMasterUniversity
CBC
2 days ago
- Health
- CBC
How much does your gut health impact your overall health? A lot, doctors say
Social Sharing You may be hearing a lot about the gut microbiome these days — it's been mentioned everywhere from wellness podcasts to the grocery aisle. Doctors are tapping into it to try and treat some diseases differently. The gut microbiome is the community of all the bacteria and viruses in our intestines, including friendlier microbes that promote health as well as some foes that can cause illness. One evolving procedure is the fecal transplant, where a small sample of stool from the colon of a healthy person is given to a recipient for therapeutic purposes. Despite the ick factor, they have been used to treat potentially fatal, recurring bacterial infections for which antibiotics have been less effective. Now, doctors and researchers are looking to see whether fecal transplants can be used for other hard-to-treat illnesses. Avoiding scorched-earth regimen Health Canada approved fecal transplants for recurrent C. difficile infections in 2015. Impacting the colon, these infections lead to diarrhea and, if recurring, dehydration that can wreak havoc on the body. The goal with the transplant is to have the healthy bacteria outcompete the C. difficile and wipe out the stubborn infection. Overall, for recurrent C. difficile, fecal transplants were significantly more effective, greater than 85 per cent, compared with less than 50 per cent for antibiotics. Dr. Nikhil Pai, a pediatric gastroenterologist and associate clinical professor at McMaster University in Hamilton, said antibiotics can create a terrible cycle. "What ends up surviving after this scorched-earth antibiotic regimen are bacteria that cannot only make things worse, but can affect a lot of other things such as just general nutrition and metabolism," Pai said. In adults, a 2023 review of clinical trials published by the respected Cochrane Library concluded fecal transplants may also help control Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, two forms of inflammatory bowel disease that harm the gut when the body's immune system mistakenly attacks itself. WATCH | Debunking myths of fecal transplants: The power of poop: What fecal transplants can and cannot treat 6 years ago Duration 2:39 Bruce Vallance, a pediatrics professor at the University of British Columbia, said inflammatory bowel disease is essentially chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, possibly triggered by the bacteria living in our intestines. It can happen at any age, he said. "We're trying to figure out whether certain microbes are driving the disease and whether we could target those microbes, deplete them and hopefully remove them from the intestine so there's no longer any trigger for disease." Some researchers are also looking into using fecal transplants for teenage anorexia nervosa, known for its difficulty to treat and high death rate. Research suggests there is a gut-brain connection, and scientists are finding there is an association between anorexia and imbalances in the gut microbiome, which could influence a person's behaviour. Building slimy 'mini guts' Vallance and his team are also studying whether certain microbes that may drive Crohn's and colitis can get through a key mucus layer in the intestines. To that end, he's been working with doctors at BC Children's Hospital to take fecal samples and biopsies that offer a snapshot of what's going on in the human colon. Vallance builds "mini guts" — a 3D model of the intestines in the shape of a ball — to study how the microbes function. He's focusing on growing bacteria in the epithelium, or gut lining, which contains proteins with sugars on them that form a slimy coating. "It doesn't look nice and it doesn't sound nice, but that sticky coating is actually really important in terms of how we interact with our gut microbes," Vallance said. It's what creates the barrier against dangerous bacteria that can cause diseases like Crohn's and colitis. Another trial focuses on short bowel syndrome in children who have had parts of their small intestine surgically removed. It can cause an excessive build-up of bacteria, leading to abdominal pain, bloating and diarrhea that's traditionally treated with antibiotics. There have been other unintentional benefits of the fecal transplant. Pai recalled, while at his other position at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, treating an autistic child who had recurrent C. difficile. "After their treatment, there were comments from the family that this child was also just showing some real improvements and changes in their behaviour as well as noted by their teachers in school," Pai said. "I don't think it's any surprise that other aspects of him also got better." Why we are what we eat Bringing back healthier bacteria also benefits the body as a whole, Pai said, which could be why the boy saw improvements in other areas. "The comment or the idea that we are what we eat is very true," Vallance said. What we eat and digest is also individualized, to that extent that everyone's poo is like a fingerprint — or poo print, he said. "Everybody has their own unique blueprint." When people eat a high-fibre diet full of vegetables, for instance, more fibre reaches the colon, where microbes ferment it and release beneficial factors such as butyrate, a short chain fatty acid. Vallance said butyrate can help signal our immune system what to do and when. But people with inflammatory bowel disease tend to have much less butyrate, a helpful regulator to prevent the immune system from overreacting, he said. Carrie Daniel MacDougall, an associate professor at MD Anderson Cancer Center's epidemiology department in Houston, specializes in nutrition and the microbiome, including the role of dietary fibre. Daniel MacDougall and her team showed that adding dietary fibre in the form of canned beans changed the gut microbiome of cancer patients within eight weeks and is thought to encourage beneficial gut bacteria to do their thing. Cancer prevention guidelines already emphasize increasing fibre with whole foods like beans, as well as fruits and vegetables. "A lot of what we're learning about the scientific mechanisms and the gut microbiome also has a huge impact on public health," Daniel MacDougall said. Gut health "has a lot of crossover with other diseases like heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease. "We're all learning from each other's research."
Hamilton Spectator
2 days ago
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Hamilton hits $1 billion in building permits in record time. What projects pushed the city past the mark?
Hamilton has once again broken its record for the fastest climb to $1 billion worth of building permits . In a news release , the city announced that as of April 30, it had surpassed $1 billion worth of construction since the beginning of the year — the earliest Hamilton has ever hit the benchmark. That figure represents roughly 1,476 building projects across the city, ranging from residential and institutional to commercial and industrial — including anything from a residential tower or a manufacturing facility to a new deck or extension added onto a home. The release noted that record 'highlights the construction industry's success' in the city, adding 1,966 new dwelling units were approved by April 30 — the highest number ever recorded by that date in any previous year. 'Hamilton's momentum is undeniable,' Mayor Andrea Horwath said in a statement. 'This progress marks an important step forward in shaping a city where all Hamiltonians can thrive.' According to the city, nearly 68 per cent of the total assessed construction value is made up of residential construction, with roughly 15 per cent falling under the industrial, commercial and institutional sectors. More than 16 per cent of the total came from signs, demolitions, fire repair and sewage systems. City manager Marnie Cluckie called the new record a 'milestone,' noting it is reflective of a 'shared vision' for Hamilton between builders, developers, planners, residents and city staff. 'It speaks to the energy and action in Hamilton right now, as we welcome new homes, new jobs, and new opportunities,' added Cluckie. 'Reaching this milestone is more than a number — it's a sign of the progress we're making together.' The early stages of the building of the Television City development is pictured in this file photo. The early stages of construction of the new McMaster University residence on Main Street West is pictured in this file photo. A rendering of the soon-to-be-built Ikea customer distribution centre on Glover Road in Hamilton. The facility is expected to open in summer 2027. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Single gene may help explain the plague's persistence throughout human history
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Scientists have discovered how adaptations in a single gene helped the plague survive for hundreds of years. Responsible for the deadliest pandemic in history, the bacterium that causes the plague, Yersinia pestis, has existed in varying strains from ancient times until today. Now, scientists have unearthed a genetic clue as to how the infamous disease has persisted for millennia, with devastating outbreaks smoldering across centuries. They published their findings Thursday (May 29) in the journal Science. "This is one of the first research studies to directly examine changes in an ancient pathogen, one we still see today, in an attempt to understand what drives the virulence [disease severity], persistence and/or eventual extinction of pandemics," study co-senior author Hendrik Poinar, director of the Ancient DNA Centre at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, said in a statement. Y. pestis has been infecting humans since before recorded history began. The most common form of the disease is known as "bubonic" and most often enters the body through bites from infected fleas, although people can less commonly catch it directly from infected animals, including rats and cats. Once inside the body, the bacterium travels to the lymph nodes and replicates. As it multiplies, it triggers the formation of painful, pus-filled "buboes," for which the bubonic plague is named. The plague bacterium can also cause a blood infection, called septicemic plague, and lung infection called pneumonic plague. Related: Oregon's 1st bubonic plague case in 8 years tied to patient's pet cat The three major plague pandemics are among the deadliest outbreaks in human history. The first pandemic, the Justinian Plague (which occurred roughly between A.D. 542 and 750), slashed the population in parts of the Mediterranean to by an estimated 40% by the end of the sixth century. The second, and most infamous, outbreak of the disease was the 14th-century Black Death that ravaged Europe and the Middle East. The single deadliest pandemic in recorded history, the Black Death killed approximately 25 million people in Europe alone — between 33% and 50% of its population. A third, lesser-known global plague pandemic began in 1855 in China's Yunnan province and killed more than 12 million people in India and China alone. This pandemic was considered active until 1960, after which plague deaths dropped to lower levels. Plague epidemics continue to this day, with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar and Peru being the most endemic countries, according to the World Health Organization. Besides the staggering death counts associated with the pathogen, what's perhaps most remarkable about Y. pestis is the longevity of its strains. Strains of the Justinian Plague bacterium took 300 years to go extinct after outbreaks were first recorded, and one of the two lineages from the Black Death re-emerged in waves for 500 years before its disappearance, while the other became the ancestor of all present-day strains. To investigate the genetic toolkit Y. pestis uses to persist for so long, researchers conducted an analysis of a plague gene known as pla across hundreds of samples collected from ancient and modern victims of the disease. The pla gene codes for an enzyme that helps Y. pestis move through the body undetected by the host's immune system. Previous studies have suggested that pla is a key factor that modulates both the lethality of a given plague strain and its ability to spark outbreaks in humans. However, one plague strain can carry a different number of pla genes than the next, and it wasn't clear how this copy number might impact their biology, the researchers noted. To investigate, they collected multiple modern strains of Y. pestis from Vietnam that had varying numbers of copies of pla inside their genomes; carrying more copies of the gene means that the bacteria can crank out more copies of the enzyme. After injecting these different plague strains into mice, they found that the strains with fewer copies of pla led to longer infections but reduced the disease's mortality rate by up to 20%. RELATED STORIES —Diagnostic dilemma: A scientist caught plague from bacteria thought to be 'noninfectious' —Could bacteria or viruses lurking in ancient Egyptian mummies unleash a plague today? —'Black death' survivors had plague-resistant genes that may boost their descendants' risk of autoimmune disease Across the ancient plague genomes they analyzed — 20 of which dated to the first plague pandemic and 94 of which were from the second — the researchers noted a pattern where the plague strains lost copies of pla over time, namely in later stages of each pandemic. Among the modern genomes, they found three strains that hint that the same pattern is unfolding today. They theorized this adaptation likely made infections less virulent, or harmful to the host's body, over time. This suggests that the evolutionary change helped the disease to keep its hosts — be they rat or human — alive for longer, thereby enabling it to spread more widely. This adaptation may have been especially necessary after populations of the plague's primary hosts, rats, were killed off en masse during outbreaks. "The reduction of pla may reflect the changing size and density of rodent and human populations," Poinar said. "It's important to remember that plague was an epidemic of [flea-ridden] rats, which were the drivers of epidemics and pandemics. Humans were accidental victims." The scientists say that further research into both ancient and contemporary plague strains could reveal more pla depletions and help them to better understand how such changes to the germ's genome have shaped its virulence through history. Nowadays, Y. pestis infections can be cured with antibiotics, though some strains have shown troubling signs of antibiotic resistance. To head off the threat of a superbug plague outbreak, scientists in the U.K. have already started developing a bubonic plague vaccine to add to stockpiles. This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to offer medical advice.
Hamilton Spectator
3 days ago
- Hamilton Spectator
‘A needle in a haystack': Hamilton family scours Panama jungle for missing dad and kids
Walking across a narrow bridge in northwest Panama — a low, tea-coloured river to her left and boundless jungle rising to her right — Nagham Azzam-Iqbal pauses to reflect on the task ahead. 'We're searching for a needle in a haystack.' The Ancaster woman is thousands of kilometres from home in a desperate effort to find her brother-in-law, Ghussan Iqbal, who vanished into the dense forests near the border of Panama and Costa Rica with his two young children last week. Azzam-Iqbal said Iqbal, 31, graduated from McMaster University and lived on the Hamilton Mountain before he moved to the Panamanian city of Changuinola about a year ago, just before his wife, Fatima, gave birth to their son. He went missing with his seven-month-old son and two-year-old daughter on May 21, when Fatima woke up to find them gone. 'We just came as quick as we could,' Azzam-Iqbal said over video call Thursday, tilting her phone to show her husband, Sulman Iqbal, as they walked on the bridge Thursday to meet a search team that includes police, firefighters and several members of Fatima's Panama-based family. The couple flew to Costa Rica on the night of May 22 before crossing into Panama by bus and foot the following day. Azzam-Iqbal, 31, said her brother-in-law has untreated mental-health issues. Prior to moving to Panama, he was hospitalized at St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton for an episode of psychosis, she added. 'We know Ghussan has psychosis and during psychotic episodes, he tends to disappear,' she said. 'He's someone who's unwell and vulnerable, and he has even more vulnerable children with him.' Despite reported sightings — local authorities have put out multiple Amber Alerts — the search for Iqbal, his daughter Nousaybah and his son Musa has so far turned up naught, with the three believed to be somewhere in the jungle. Azzam-Iqbal said the terrain in the area — tall trees, thick greenery and tangled vines surround a few narrow mountain roads flanked by a river — has made the situation 'dire.' As has the weather: rain and humid heat, north of 30 C, is forecast in Changuinola for the next seven days. There are other things that are out of the family's control. Changuinola is sparsely populated with just over 30,000 residents, many of whom live in remote, tucked away Indigenous communities. Meanwhile, Bocas Del Toro, the province where the city is located, recently declared a state of emergency amid protests against the local government. 'Can you see the blockade right behind me?' Azzam-Iqbal said, pointing to police and barricades at one end of the bridge. While local police are helping with the search, Azzam-Iqbal said they lack resources. She said they don't have any search dogs, night-vision goggles or drones. Instead, they've relied on more traditional means: boots on the ground, megaphones, flashlights and word of mouth. 'The people in the remote Indigenous communities, when they see us, they come running to tell us where they spotted him,' she said. 'It's not a well-resourced search, but it's one where everyone's invested in the well-being of these kids and Ghussan.' 'We have no idea how a seven-month-old and two-year-old would survive. There's a lot of vegetation and farmers in the area — maybe he's stealing fruit to feed them. We don't want to think of the worst outcome,' she added. As they continue the search, the family is also pleading with Canadian officials to step in — Iqbal and his two-year-old daughter are both citizens. Azzam-Iqbal said Global Affairs Canada has assigned them a case manager from Latin America to help liaise with local authorities. They've also provided consular services, 'but they said they can't interfere with a foreign investigation. 'Emotional support, but nothing tangible,' Azzam-Iqbal said. In a statement, Global Affairs said it's aware of the missing-person cases but that local law enforcement is responsible investigating such reports in their jurisdiction. 'Consular officials are actively engaged with local authorities and are providing consular assistance to the family,' a spokesperson for the agency said. 'The safety and security of Canadian citizens abroad is a top priority for the Government of Canada.' No other information was shared. Azzam-Iqbal said the family is pleading with anyone who might have had contact recently with Ghussan to contact the family or Hamilton police, who she noted have been made aware of the situation. 'Our number-one priority is the children, but we want him to know that we're here for him and we want to support him,' she said.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Scientists SOLVE the mystery of the Black Death's prolonged reign of terror - as they pinpoint a single gene that allowed it to endure across centuries
The Black Death remains the single deadliest pandemic in recorded human history. The deveastating pandemic wiped out up to half of the populations of Europe, Western Asia and Africa, killing tens of millions of people. Now, the mystery of the Black Death's prolonged reign of terror has finally been solved. Research has revealed that the evolution of a single gene in Yersinia pestis - the bacterium that causes bubonic plague - allowed it to adapt and survive for so long. The study addresses key questions about how pandemics enter human populations, cause immense sickness, and evolve different levels of virulence. And in the future, the findings could help us to pre-empt another pandemic. 'This is one of the first research studies to directly examine changes in an ancient pathogen, one we still see today, in an attempt to understand what drives the virulence, persistence and/or eventual extinction of pandemics,' said co-senior author Professor Hendrik Poinar. The new study was conducted by researchers at McMaster University in Canada and France's Institut Pasteur. The bacteria that cause the plague evolved to become less deadly over time, allowing it to continue infecting people in three separate pandemics over more than a thousand years, their research revealed. The first pandemic - the plague of Justinian - struck in the 500s at the start of the Middle Ages and lasted for around 200 years. The Black Death began in the mid-1300s and would become the deadliest pandemic in human history, killing up to half of the people in Europe, western Asia and Africa, with outbreaks continuing for centuries. The third bubonic plague pandemic broke out in China in the 1850s and continues today, with some cases still being recorded in parts of sub-Saharan Africa. 'The plague bacteria have a particular importance in the history of humanity, so it's important to know how these outbreaks spread,' said Javier Pizarro-Cerda, co-author of the study. The researchers examined samples of Yersinia pestis, the bacteria that cause the plague, dating back to each pandemic. In all three cases, the genes of each plague bacteria evolved to become less virulent and less deadly over time, according to the study. By causing less severe infections, the bacteria are thought to have extended the length of the pandemics because it gained more opportunities to spread between people. The researchers confirmed this theory by infecting rats with recent plague samples, showing that the disease lasted longer when the virulence decreased. While antibiotics can now effectively fight off the plague, the research could shine a light on how other pandemics might evolve. 'This allows us to gain a comprehensive understanding of how pathogens can adapt to different situations,' Pizarro-Cerda said. 'We finally better understand what the plague is - and how we can develop measures to defend ourselves,' he added. THE CAUSE BEHIND EUROPE'S BUBONIC PLAGUES The plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, was the cause of some of the world's deadliest pandemics, including the Justinian Plague, the Black Death, and the major epidemics that swept through China in the late 1800s. The disease continues to affect populations around the world today. The Black Death of 1348 famously killed half of the people in London within 18 months, with bodies piled five-deep in mass graves. When the Great Plague of 1665 hit, a fifth of people in London died, with victims shut in their homes and a red cross painted on the door with the words 'Lord have mercy upon us'. The pandemic spread from Europe through the 14th and 19th centuries - thought to come from fleas which fed on infected rats before biting humans and passing the bacteria to them. But modern experts challenge the dominant view that rats caused the incurable disease. Experts point out that rats were not that common in northern Europe, which was hit equally hard by plague as the rest of Europe, and that the plague spread faster than humans might have been exposed to their fleas. Most people would have had their own fleas and lice, when the plague arrived in Europe in 1346, because they bathed much less often.
