Overcoming donor variability and risks associated with fecal microbiota transplants through bacteriophage-mediated treatments.

Background: Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) and fecal virome transplantation (FVT, sterile filtrated donor feces) have been effective in treating recurrent Clostridioides difficile infections, possibly through bacteriophage-mediated modulation of the gut microbiome. However, challenges like donor variability, costly screening, coupled with concerns over pathogen transfer (incl. eukaryotic viruses) with FMT or FVT hinder their wider clinical application in treating less acute diseases.

Moderate alcohol consumption and lipoprotein subfractions: a systematic review of intervention and observational studies.

Context: Moderate alcohol consumption is associated with decreased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and improvement in cardiovascular risk markers, including lipoproteins and lipoprotein subfractions.

Objective: To systematically review the relationship between moderate alcohol intake, lipoprotein subfractions, and related mechanisms.

Data Sources: Following PRISMA, all human and ex vivo studies with an alcohol intake up to 60 g/d were included from 8 databases.

Dissociation Between Insulin Resistance and Abnormalities in Lipoprotein Particle Concentrations and Sizes in Normal-Weight Chinese Adults.

Insulin resistance in obesity coincides with abnormalities in lipid profile and lipoprotein subclass distribution and size even before abnormalities in glucose homeostasis manifest. We aimed to assess this relationship in the absence of obesity. Insulin sensitivity (3-h intravenous glucose tolerance test and minimal modeling) and lipoprotein particle concentrations and sizes (proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy) were evaluated in 15 insulin-resistant and 15 insulin-sensitive lean Asians of Chinese descent with normal glucose tolerance, matched on age, sex, and body mass index.