Multi-omic profiling a defined bacterial consortium for treatment of recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection.

Donor-derived fecal microbiota treatments are efficacious in preventing recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (rCDI), but they have inherently variable quality attributes, are difficult to scale and harbor the risk of pathogen transfer. In contrast, VE303 is a defined consortium of eight purified, clonal bacterial strains developed for prevention of rCDI. In the phase 2 CONSORTIUM study, high-dose VE303 was well tolerated and reduced the odds of rCDI by more than 80% compared to placebo.

Novel class IIb microcins show activity against Gram-negative ESKAPE and plant pathogens.

Interspecies interactions involving direct competition bacteriocin production play a vital role in shaping ecological dynamics within microbial ecosystems. For instance, the ribosomally produced siderophore bacteriocins, known as class IIb microcins, affect the colonization of host-associated pathogenic species. Notably, to date, only five of these antimicrobials have been identified, all derived from specific and strains.

Succinate-producing microbiota drives tuft cell hyperplasia to protect against Clostridioides difficile.

The role of microbes and their metabolites in modulating tuft cell (TC) dynamics in the large intestine and the relevance of this pathway to infections is unknown. Here, we uncover that microbiome-driven colonic TC hyperplasia protects against Clostridioides difficile infection. Using selective antibiotics, we demonstrate increased type 2 cytokines and TC hyperplasia in the colon but not in the ileum.

Executive Functioning and Processing Speed as Predictors of Global Cognitive Decline in Alzheimer Disease.

Introduction: There is a lack of cognitive tools to predict disease progression in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Methods: We assessed patients with MCI, AD, and cognitively healthy controls (cHC) using NIH toolbox assessments for attention/concentration and executive functioning and overall cognitive decline by the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive (ADAS-Cog).

Results: Among 183 participants over a median follow-up of 540 days, both between- and within-subjects variance in NIH toolbox and ADAS-Cog assessments increased from cHC to MCI to AD patients.

Commensal consortia decolonize Enterobacteriaceae via ecological control.

Persistent colonization and outgrowth of potentially pathogenic organisms in the intestine can result from long-term antibiotic use or inflammatory conditions, and may perpetuate dysregulated immunity and tissue damage. Gram-negative Enterobacteriaceae gut pathobionts are particularly recalcitrant to conventional antibiotic treatment, although an emerging body of evidence suggests that manipulation of the commensal microbiota may be a practical alternative therapeutic strategy. Here we isolated and down-selected commensal bacterial consortia from stool samples from healthy humans that could strongly and specifically suppress intestinal Enterobacteriaceae.