Gut microbiome composition and risk factors in a large cross-sectional IBS cohort.

Objective: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common gastrointestinal disorder that is difficult to diagnose and treat due to its inherent heterogeneity and unclear aetiology. Although there is evidence suggesting the importance of the microbiome in IBS, this association remains poorly defined. In the current study, we aimed to characterise a large cross-sectional cohort of patients with self-reported IBS in terms of microbiome composition, demographics, and risk factors.

Structural determinants governing β-arrestin2 interaction with PDZ proteins and recruitment to CRFR1.

β-Arrestins are multifunctional adaptor proteins best know for their vital role in regulating G protein coupled receptor (GPCR) trafficking and signaling. β-arrestin2 recruitment and receptor internalization of corticotropin-releasing factor receptor 1 (CRFR1), a GPCR whose antagonists have been shown to demonstrate both anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects, have previously been shown to be modulated by PDZ proteins. Thus, a structural characterization of the interaction between β-arrestins and PDZ proteins can delineate potential mechanism of PDZ-dependent regulation of GPCR trafficking.

A novel sequencing-based vaginal health assay combining self-sampling, HPV detection and genotyping, STI detection, and vaginal microbiome analysis.

The composition of the vaginal microbiome, including both the presence of pathogens involved in sexually transmitted infections (STI) as well as commensal microbiota, has been shown to have important associations for a woman's reproductive and general health. Currently, healthcare providers cannot offer comprehensive vaginal microbiome screening, but are limited to the detection of individual pathogens, such as high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV), the predominant cause of cervical cancer. There is no single test on the market that combines HPV, STI, and microbiome screening.

The role of a sequencing-based clinical intestinal screening test in patients at high-risk for Clostridium difficile and other pathogens: a case report.

Background: Hospitalization and antibiotic treatment can put patients at high risk for Clostridium difficile infection, where a disturbance of the gut microbiome allows for Clostridium difficile proliferation and associated symptoms, including mild, moderate, or severe diarrhea. Clostridium difficile infection is challenging to treat, often recurrent, and leads to almost 30,000 annual deaths in the USA alone. Here we present a case where SmartGut™, an at-home, self-administered sequencing-based clinical intestinal screening test, was used to identify the presence of Clostridium difficile in a patient with worsening diarrhea.

Self-Sampling for Human Papillomavirus Testing: Increased Cervical Cancer Screening Participation and Incorporation in International Screening Programs.

In most industrialized countries, screening programs for cervical cancer have shifted from cytology (Pap smear or ThinPrep) alone on clinician-obtained samples to the addition of screening for human papillomavirus (HPV), its main causative agent. For HPV testing, self-sampling instead of clinician-sampling has proven to be equally accurate, in particular for assays that use nucleic acid amplification techniques. In addition, HPV testing of self-collected samples in combination with a follow-up Pap smear in case of a positive result is more effective in detecting precancerous lesions than a Pap smear alone.