Publications by authors named "M B Wenk"
Life stage impact on the human skin ecosystem: lipids and the microbial community.
NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes
January 2025
Article Synopsis
- The study examines the relationship between skin oxylipins, which are bioactive lipids produced from fatty acids by skin microbes, and different microbial communities on the skin of children and adults.
- Findings highlighted that Malassezia restricta, a type of skin fungus, has a positive impact on the production of a specific oxylipin (9,10-DiHOME) in adults, while showing a negative correlation with its precursor in children, indicating differences in skin chemistry across age groups.
- The research suggests a complex communication system between skin microbes and host lipid metabolism that could have implications for skin health, emphasizing the need for further exploration of these interactions for potential therapeutic applications.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates how plasma metabolites are linked to the progression of chronic kidney disease in individuals with type 2 diabetes, focusing on kidney function decline measured by eGFR slope.
- Researchers analyzed data from over 5,000 people, identifying specific elevated levels of lipids and amino acids that influence kidney function, both positively and negatively.
- The findings suggest that metabolite abnormalities, particularly related to fatty acids, may indicate issues with fat breakdown and are connected to the risk of worsening kidney health in diabetic patients.
Background & Aims: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) represents a spectrum of pathologies ranging from simple steatosis to steatohepatitis, fibrosis and cirrhosis. Patients with metabolic associated steatohepatitis (MASH) with fibrosis are at greatest risk of liver and cardiovascular complications. To identify such at-risk MASLD patients, physicians are still reliant on invasive liver biopsies.
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- Scientists from 34 labs in 19 countries worked together to measure certain fats (ceramides) in human blood using special techniques.
- They used both standard methods and their own methods to get very accurate and consistent results.
- The study helps improve future medical tests and treatments by providing reliable information about these fats in blood samples.
Sphingolipids are the most diverse class of lipids due to the numerous variations in their structural components. This diversity is also reflected in their extremely different functions. Sphingolipids are not only constituents of cell membranes but have emerged as key signaling molecules involved in a variety of cellular functions, such as cell growth and differentiation, proliferation and apoptotic cell death.
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