Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Eric R. Littmann, Jung-Jin Lee, Joshua E. Denny, Zahidul Alam, Jeffrey R. Maslanka, Isma Zarin, Rina Matsuda, Rebecca A. Carter, Boze Susac, Miriam S. Saffern, Bryton Fett, Lisa M. Mattei, Kyle Bittinger, Michael C. Abt
Summary: The inflammatory status of the recipient plays a crucial role in engraftment and efficacy of microbiota transplantation in treating C. difficile infection, with CD4(+) Foxp3(+) T-regulatory cells being crucial for resolving the infection.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Etienne Nzabarushimana, Haixu Tang
Summary: CDI is a GI infection that can be reversed through modulation of the gut microbiota. This study evaluated the diagnostic capabilities of the fecal microbiome on CDI, showing that the species/function composition of the gut microbiome has a robust diagnostic prediction of the disease. The impact of antibiotic therapy on CDI prediction was also assessed, with positive outcomes observed following successful FMT.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Christopher Yip, Naomi C. Okada, Amber Howerton, Amei Amei, Ernesto Abel-Santos
Summary: The synthetic bile salt CamSA shows potential in preventing Clostridioides difficile infections, offering multi-day protection with a single dose in mice. Its pharmacokinetic properties suggest limited systemic absorption and a slow-release mechanism through cycling between the liver and intestines. This unique pattern of protection may be attributed to CamSA's stability in the gut of antibiotic-treated mice and degradation by the microbiota in non-antibiotic treated animals.
BIOCHEMICAL PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Microbiology
Farha Naz, William A. Petri
Summary: Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is a significant challenge to public health, designated as an urgent threat by the U.S. CDC. Recurrence is common in CDI patients, likely due to the use of antibiotics as primary treatment. This review summarizes the current understanding of the host's innate and adaptive immune responses to CDI, as well as other factors influencing the disease, such as C. difficile toxins and the host microbiota. It also discusses therapeutic approaches and the status of immunization strategies for CDI.
CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Shanlin Ke, Nira R. Pollock, Xu-Wen Wang, Xinhua Chen, Kaitlyn Daugherty, Qianyun Lin, Hua Xu, Kevin W. Garey, Anne J. Gonzales-Luna, Ciaran P. Kelly, Yang-Yu Liu
Summary: The study highlights the sensitivity of interactions between gut microbiota and host immune markers to the status of C. difficile colonization and infection. Utilizing both types of data can improve the distinction between CDI and other groups. Symbolic classification using selected features resulted in simple mathematical formulas that explicitly quantify the interactions between the gut microbiome and host immune markers.
Article
Microbiology
Alexander B. Smith, Jonathan T. Specker, Katharine K. Hewlett, Troy R. Scoggins, Montana Knight, Abigail M. Lustig, Yanhong Li, Kirsten M. Evans, Yingchan Guo, Qianxuan She, Michael W. Christopher, Timothy J. Garrett, Ahmed M. Moustafa, Daria Van Tyne, Boone M. Prentice, Joseph P. Zackular, Kimberly A. Kline
Summary: Toxin production by Clostridioides difficile damages the colonic epithelium and leads to an inflammatory response. Enterococcus faecalis, an opportunistic pathogen, takes advantage of C. difficile toxin-mediated damage to acquire host heme for enhanced fitness. This study highlights the cooperative partnership between C. difficile and enterococci.
Article
Plant Sciences
Young-Jin Son, Young-Rok Kim, Sang-Hun Oh, Sungji Jung, Marco A. Ciufolini, Hee-Jong Hwang, Jin-Hwan Kwak, Hyunjoo Pai
Summary: Clostridioides difficile infection is a global health threat and micrococcin P2 (MP2) has shown promising results as an effective antimicrobial agent against the hypervirulent C. difficile strain through in vitro and in vivo studies.
JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Youna Cho, Jieun Kim, Hyunjoo Pai, Mina Rho
Summary: Antibiotics can alter the gut microbiome, leading to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This study investigated the relationship between bacterial composition, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), and antibiotic treatments in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) and Clostridioides difficile infections (CDI), compared with healthy individuals. The results showed that ARGs were significantly more abundant in the COPD and CDI groups, particularly aminoglycoside and beta-lactam resistance genes. These findings are important for understanding the relationship between antibiotics and the gut microbiome, as well as the potential risks associated with antibiotic misuse.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Nicholas A. Lesniak, Alyxandria M. Schubert, Kaitlin J. Flynn, Jhansi L. Leslie, Hamide Sinani, Ingrid L. Bergin, Vincent B. Young, Patrick D. Schloss
Summary: Clostridioides difficile colonization can lead to a range of infection severities, from mild diarrhea to life-threatening conditions. While factors such as patient age, blood cell count, and C. difficile characteristics have been associated with disease severity, the role of specific gut bacteria in influencing severity is unclear. This study demonstrates that different gut bacterial communities can contribute to variations in Clostridioides difficile infection outcomes. Certain bacterial groups were associated with more severe outcomes, while others were associated with milder outcomes. Incorporating gut bacterial community data into severity models may aid in identifying at-risk patients and improving interventions.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Makan Golizeh, Kaitlin Winter, Lucie Roussel, Marija Landekic, Melanie Langelier, Vivian G. Loo, Momar Ndao, Donald C. Vinh
Summary: This study aimed to discover host-derived fecal biomarkers associated with the severity of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). The researchers identified A2MG, MMP-7, and A1AT as biomarkers in patients with CDI, which may define novel components of the host response that determine disease severity. In a mouse model, these biomarkers were also identified, highlighting their potential relevance in understanding CDI severity.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Rika Hirano, Mikiyasu Sakanaka, Kazuto Yoshimi, Naohisa Sugimoto, Syogo Eguchi, Yuko Yamauchi, Misaki Nara, Shingo Maeda, Yuta Ami, Aina Gotoh, Takane Katayama, Noriho Iida, Tamotsu Kato, Hiroshi Ohno, Satoru Fukiya, Atsushi Yokota, Mamoru Nishimoto, Motomitsu Kitaoka, Hiroyuki Nakai, Shin Kurihara
Summary: The study identified Gal-beta 1,4-Rha as a next-generation prebiotic candidate that selectively promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria like Bifidobacterium without stimulating the growth of other prominent bacteria and pathogens. This prebiotic was found to suppress the growth of the enteric pathogen Clostridioides difficile, indicating its potential for preventing infections and improving gut health.
Article
Biology
Skye R. S. Fishbein, John Robinson, Tiffany Hink, Kimberly A. Reske, Erin P. Newcomer, Carey-Ann D. Burnham, Jeffrey P. Henderson, Erik R. Dubberke, Gautam Dantas
Summary: The study uncovers the connection between pathogen genetic variation and disease outcome in Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). The microbiomes of asymptomatic CDI carriers are enriched with commensal Clostridia species involved in carbohydrate metabolism, which may inhibit the proliferation of C. difficile and prevent CDI.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Sam Nooij, Quinten R. Ducarmon, Jeroen F. J. Laros, Romy D. Zwittink, Jason M. Norman, Wiep Klaas Smits, Hein W. Verspaget, Josbert J. Keller, Elisabeth M. Terveer, Ed J. Kuijper
Summary: The study found that pks+ E coli was more prevalent and abundant in patients with rCDI, and FMT played a role in the persistence or eradication of pks+ E coli in patients. However, transmission of pks+ E coli from donors to patients is unlikely.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Srishti Saha, Kristin Mara, Darrell S. Pardi, Sahil Khanna
Summary: Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is highly effective for treating recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) and appears to be safe. Common symptoms during short-term follow-up include diarrhea and constipation, while long-term follow-up revealed new diagnoses that should be further explored in future studies.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Jyoti Mani, Shira Levy, Angelina Angelova, Sahel Hazrati, Ryan Fassnacht, Poorani Subramanian, Tiana Richards, John E. Niederhuber, George L. Maxwell, Suchitra K. Hourigan
Summary: This longitudinal cohort study investigated the prevalence, risk factors, and microbiome characteristics of toxigenic C. diff carriage in infants. The study found that the prevalence of toxigenic C. diff carriage increased as infants grew older, but it was a transient component of the dynamic infant microbiome. Breastfeeding was associated with a lower carriage rate.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Slave Petrovski, Ayal B. Gussow, Quanli Wang, Matt Halvorsen, Yujun Han, William H. Weir, Andrew S. Allen, David B. Goldstein
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Justin G. Trogdon, W. H. Weir, S. Shai, P. J. Mucha, T. M. Kuo, A. M. Meyer, K. B. Stitzenberg
JOURNAL OF GENERAL INTERNAL MEDICINE
(2019)
Article
Otorhinolaryngology
Travis Schrank, William Weir, Asim Lal, Lee Landess, Nicholas Lenze, Trevor Hackman
Summary: Research showed a dose-dependent relationship between recurrence-free survival (RFS) and tobacco smoke exposure in p16+ OPSCC patients, with those having a smoking history of 25 pack-years or more exhibiting a decrease in RFS. Trends in increased C to A transversion mutations and higher proportion of COSMIC Signature 4 mutations were observed in patients with more than 25 pack-years of smoking exposure, indicating a distinct pattern of genomic alterations.
LARYNGOSCOPE INVESTIGATIVE OTOLARYNGOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Travis P. Schrank, Aditi Kothari, William H. Weir, Wesley H. Stepp, Hina Rehmani, Xinyi Liu, Xiaowei Wang, Andrew Sewell, Xue Li, Jason Tasoulas, Sulgi Kim, Gray Yarbrough, Yue Xie, Yael Flamand, Shanthi Marur, Michele C. Hayward, Di Wu, Barbara Burtness, Karen S. Anderson, Albert S. Baldwin, Wendell G. Yarbrough, Natalia Issaeva
Summary: Transcriptional data analysis of HPV+ HNSCC tumors identified a single module that can classify these tumors and predict patient outcomes. This module is related to NF-kappa B target gene expression and is independent of other factors such as PIK3CA mutations and viral integration. Additionally, other features associated with NF-kappa B active tumors were identified.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Mathematics, Applied
William H. Weir, Benjamin Walker, Lenka Zdeborova, Peter J. Mucha
SIAM JOURNAL ON MATHEMATICS OF DATA SCIENCE
(2020)
Article
Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence
William H. Weir, Scott Emmons, Ryan Gibson, Dane Taylor, Peter J. Mucha