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Dr Ian Lipkin's $1.27m gut microbiome study - crowdfunding campaign - news and updates

aimossy

aimossy

Senior Member
Messages
1,106
http://news.sciencemag.org/biology/2014/11/bodys-bacteria-may-keep-our-brains-healthy?rss=1

A few extracts:

The microbes that live in your body outnumber your cells 10 to one. Recent studies suggest these tiny organisms help us digest food and maintain our immune system. Now, researchers have discovered yet another way microbes keep us healthy: They are needed for closing the blood-brain barrier, a molecular fence that shuts out pathogens and molecules that could harm the brain.

The findings suggest that a woman's diet or exposure to antibiotics during pregnancy may influence the development of this barrier. The work could also lead to a better understanding of multiple sclerosis, in which a leaky blood-brain barrier may set the stage for a decline in brain function.

The first evidence that bacteria may help fortify the body’s biological barriers came in 2001. Researchers discovered that microbes in the gut activate genes that code for gap junction proteins, which are critical to building the gut wall. Without these proteins, gut pathogens can enter the bloodstream and cause disease

The microbes have “a striking effect,” says Elaine Hsiao, a neurobiologist at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena who was not involved in the study. The work suggests "a role for the [microbes] in regulating brain development and function.”

But how? In the gut, bacteria may influence the gut wall’s integrity through one of their byproducts, energy-laden molecules called short-chain fatty acids. So Pettersson and his colleagues infected germ-free mice with either bacteria that made these fatty acids or ones that did not. The blood-brain barrier improved only when the bacteria made these fatty acids, Pettersson says. He thinks that these molecules may get into the blood and stimulate gene activity that leads to the closure of the barrier.

Maybe more extracts than is allowed, let me know if I have been too naughty.
 
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Bob

Senior Member
Messages
16,455
Location
England (south coast)
The Microbe Discovery Project said:
ONE MONTH TO GO!

Time is running out to make donations to the ME/CFS gut-microbiome crowdfund appeal.

This patient-driven Crowdfund for Dr Ian Lipkin's 'gut microbiome' research ends 31st Dec.

The researchers at The Center for Infection and Immunity, Columbia University, New York, are committed to pursuing the 'microbiome' challenge for ME/CFS with the resources that come through our efforts and donations.

Read more: www.microbediscovery.org

Donate to the research at Columbia University here: www.bit.ly/DonateToDrLipkin

Please spread the word!
Click to expand...
 
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aimossy

aimossy

Senior Member
Messages
1,106
A Microbediscovery Project Xmas appeal; the ultimate Christmas gift!

This Christmas, give a gift of top quality biomedical research to fellow people with ME/CFS. A gift that helps make a difference in the efforts to find out more about our illness. A gift of hope at a time when so many find it so much harder to cope.

Research is our only ticket out of the dark! - The gut microbiome in ME/CFS.

The Gut Brain Axis may very well be important in the context of our illness. We have dysfunctional immune systems and a high percentage of gut and brain symptomology. The gut microbiome is strongly connected to the immune system, brain and metabolism function. Findings are being made in this area for illnesses such as MS, Autism, Crohns, Lupus, Parkinsons, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Diabetes.This has become a promising new area of research for chronic illnesses.

Considering all this, it is a very sensible place for us to be looking for new information in our illness - it's the obvious next step for ME/CFS research!

We also get to have this research done by world-renowned researchers Dr Ian Lipkin and Dr Mady Hornig and their strong team - one of the best teams around, based at Columbia University in New York. This is an unheard of opportunity for this illness world wide and making a donation to this patient driven crowdfund would be a wonderful gift for anyone with ME/CFS. We don't have many findings in this illness and there is so little research done.

Last chance to get what we can to help with the 'microbiome challenge' for ME/CFS.

The patient driven crowdfund ends Dec 31st! People have donated from 25 different countries and we have raised over $150,000. We are stronger as the sum of our parts. To find out more read through the projects website blog series and news page, www.microbediscovery.org. You can make a donation to Columbia University securely (Tax- deductible for USA donors ) here : www.bit.ly/DonateToDrLipkin

The Center for Infection and Immunity is committed to pursuing the 'microbiome challenge' for ME/CFS with the resources that come through our efforts.

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Image credit: www.canstock
 
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geraldt52

Senior Member
Messages
602
The two papers that aimossy linked to above serve to illustrate to me how desperately we need someone with the depth of experience, and the depth of resources, that Lipkin has.

I was particularly struck by this statement in the sciencedirect paper:
"Because prebiotics and probiotics differ in their properties and mechanisms of action, their efficacy for treating many disorders is often unpredictable. Patients take these agents empirically and physician who prescribe them do so without consideration of patient factors, the nature of the disease, and clear endpoints. In addition, these agents are marketed as nutraceuticals and, as such, are not subject to quality control or proof of efficacy. Finally, the notion that these agents can reshape the endogenous gut microbiome in a consistent and predictable way is probably untenable. The gut microbiota in most conditions has a substantial degree of resilience that would preclude fitness and colonization by non-indigenous probiotic microbes."

I've heard the argument used against the Microbiome Project, and Lipkin, that CFS can't be as simple as just taking some acidophilus, because all of us have taken all sorts of such things, and none of us are recovered. Clearly, CFS isn't that simple, and pouring a mix of random microbes from a bottle into an unknown mix of random microbes in our guts isn't the answer...that's why we need Lipkin to figure out specifically what is already in there, what specifically is out of balance, and what specifically is needed to get it back in balance.

If we all took all the money that we spend on supplements, mostly uselessly, and contribute it to Lipkin, maybe we'd meet our goal, and maybe we'd get somewhere.
 
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RL_sparky

Senior Member
Messages
379
Location
California
geraldt52 said:
I've heard the argument used against the Microbiome Project, and Lipkin, that CFS can't be as simple as just taking some acidophilus, because all of us have taken all sorts of such things, and none of us are recovered
Click to expand...

The big problem, which you also alluded to is the indifference to this fund raising effort. Plus there are a number of other groups trying to raise money also. I really think the thing that has the greatest potential to launch the fund raising is when Dr. Lipkin is suppose to announce some new findings. If these findings are biome related and significant then the ME community would, in my opinion raise the needed dollars.
Also I think Dr. Lipkin, through his media contacts could amplify this effort to many people that we would never reach on our own.
Hoping for a good 2015.
 
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Bob

Senior Member
Messages
16,455
Location
England (south coast)
geraldt52 said:
I've heard the argument used against the Microbiome Project, and Lipkin, that CFS can't be as simple as just taking some acidophilus, because all of us have taken all sorts of such things, and none of us are recovered. Clearly, CFS isn't that simple, and pouring a mix of random microbes from a bottle into an unknown mix of random microbes in our guts isn't the answer...that's why we need Lipkin to figure out specifically what is already in there, what specifically is out of balance, and what specifically is needed to get it back in balance.
Click to expand...
Yes, and he's not just looking at populations of bacteria, but he's also looking at fungi and viruses that might have an impact on the immune system. He's also looking for potential hit-and-run microbes, that might disrupt the immune system and then disappear leaving just a disrupted immune system. And he's looking at associated levels of cytokines, and antibodies, and metabolites. So it's a comprehensive immune-related research program. And he's not just going to stop there: Once he's found any abnormalities, he'll be asking "why" there are abnormalities, and how the abnormalities fit into the observed pattern of immune disruption, and what treatments might help. e.g. he's mentioned immune modulators and antibiotics, etc. I think the research program could lead anywhere, in terms of what we know about ME.
 
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SpecialK82

Ohio, USA
Messages
993
Location
Ohio, USA
Sorry guys I'm sure you already posted this information somewhere - but what happens to the donations after Dec 31 if the goal is not met??

Are we going on to some other form of fundraising?
 
aimossy

aimossy

Senior Member
Messages
1,106
The Center for Infection and Immunity is committed to pursuing the 'microbiome challenge' for ME/CFS with the resources that come through our efforts.
Click to expand...

This will definitely all be communicated @SpecialK82 and people will know what the donations will be used for, the patient driven crowdfund isn't finished yet :)
Information will definitely be forthcoming.
 
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aimossy

aimossy

Senior Member
Messages
1,106
From FB..

We just received an absolutely lovely surprise!
Our supporter James in Hong Kong took part in the SHKP VERTICAL RUN FOR CHARITY, racing up Hong Kong's tallest building to raise money for the The Microbe Discovery Project!

James said "Now I know what it's like to be a tiny microbe lost in the gut! It's pretty mysterious and dusty working up through the very bowels of the building. I ran up from the 8th floor to the 100th in 19 minutes 50 seconds. Thanks to my supporters we raised US$576 for Dr Lipkin's Microbe Discovery Project "

James was also key in hosting and managing the Google Hangout book readings recently, which was a marathon through the night effort. He really has gone above and beyond for us. James, you are a legend - thank you for doing so much for this project! That race sounds an absolute gut buster - and you were still smiling!
Click to expand...

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