This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Crohn’s disease causes chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract Although its cause is not fully understood, abnormal activation of the GI immune system toward the gut microbiota could be playing a role In addition, the high number of pro-inflammatory bacteria found in the intestinal microbiota of Crohn’s patients could be triggering this abnormal immune response A recent pilot trial is the first to evaluate the use of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT) in maintaining remission in Crohn’s patients The authors found a higher rate of steroid-free remission in Crohn’s patients treated with FMT As well as improved lesions and inflammatory biomarkers Although further studies on a larger patient population are needed The results of this pilot trial are promising for the many patients suffering from Crohn’s disease..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"There is a reciprocal relationship between the gut microbiome and its host. The microbiome influences host health and survival, while host traits shape the microbial community structure. One of the ways the host is thought to influence the microbiome is through the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). The MHC is a collection of variable genes that play key roles in host immunity. However, few studies have examined wild animal populations for links between the MHC and microbiome. To close this gap, researchers examined the MHC genotypes and gut microbial communities of wild Seychelles warblers (_Acrocephalus sechellensis_). Specific MHC alleles, rather than overall MHC diversity, corresponded to differences in the diversity and composition of the microbiota and MHC class I alleles had a greater impact on the microbiota than MHC class II alleles. Gut microbiome diversity also increased with whole-genome heterozygosity, which is the proportion of sites in the genome with two different alleles..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

Students learn how viruses invade host cells and hijack the hosts' cell-reproduction mechanisms in order to make new viruses, which can in turn attack additional host cells. Students also learn how the immune system responds to a viral invasion, eventually defeating the viruses -- if all goes well. Finally, they consider the special case of HIV, in which the virus' host cell is a key component of the immune system itself, severely crippling it and ultimately leading to AIDS. The associated activity, Tracking a Virus, sets the stage for this lesson with a dramatic simulation that allows students to see for themselves how quickly a virus can spread through a population, and then challenges students to determine who the initial bearers of the virus were.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"The microbial colonization of a newborn’s intestine is a critical step in their development. and environmental factors during and after birth dramatically shape that colonization. Little is known about microbial colonization of infants born at home, outside the highly sanitized hospital environment. and the rate of home births is rapidly increasing in the United States but is still rare in Europe. New research examined the microbiomes of healthy infants born at home or in a hospital. Infants born in a hospital (CS and VAG) had greater microbial richness, or number of species, than infants born at home (HB). Infants born in the hospital via c-section (CS) had decreased Bacteroidetes and Bifidobacterium, along with a higher BMI and W/L during the first 18 months of life than the other groups. Different microbial profiles also had distinct effects on in vitro intestinal and immunological models..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Chronic rhinosinusitis is one of the most common diseases among humans, affecting approximately 12% of the adult population globally. It is characterized by inflammation of the nasal cavity and sinuses, causing facial pressure and pain as well as long-term loss of smell. Benign masses called nasal polyps can also develop and cause chronic nasal obstruction, but the exact cause of this disease is unknown. Recent research has indicated that toxins produced by the bacterium _Staphylococcus aureus_, particularly enterotoxin B (SEB), may play an important role. SEB is thought to stimulate the immune system by activating proteins such as toll-like receptor 2 and pro-inflammatory cytokines and by causing reactive oxygen species production and endoplasmic reticulum stress. This inflammatory response may then disrupt the integrity of the epithelial cells in the nose and sinuses..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.