Natural gut viruses join bacterial cousins in maintaining health and fighting infections Microbiologists say they have what may be the first strong evidence that the natural presence of viruses in the gut — or what they call the ‘virome’ — plays a health-maintenance and infection-fighting role similar to that of the intestinal bacteria that dwell there and make up the “microbiome.” Rendering of a virus (stock image). Microbiologists say they have what may be the first strong evidence that the natural presence of viruses in the gut -- or what they call the virome -- plays a health-maintenance and infection-fighting role similar to that of the intestinal bacteria that dwell there and make up the microbiome. Microbiologists at NYU Langone Medical Center say they have what may be the first strong evidence that the natural presence of viruses in the gut -- or what they call the virome -- plays a health-maintenance and infection-fighting role similar to that of the intestinal bacteria that dwell there and make up the microbiome. In a series of experiments in mice that took two years to complete, the NYU Langone team found that infection with the common murine norovirus, or MNV, helped mice repair intestinal tissue damaged by inflammation and helped restore the guts immune defenses after its microbiome had been wiped out by antibiotic therapy. In a report on their work to be published in the journal Nature online Nov. 19, researchers say they also found that MNV bolstered the immune system in fighting off tissue damage. Our research offers compelling data about the mutually supportive relationship between viruses and bacteria in the mouse gut and lays the groundwork for further research on precisely how the virome supports the immune system, which likely applies to humans, as well, says senior study investigator Ken Cadwell, PhD, an assistant professor at NYU Langone. We have known for a long time that people get infected all the time with viruses and bacteria, and they dont get sick, says Cadwell. Now we have scientific evidence that not every viral infection is bad, but may actually be beneficial to health, just as we know that many bacterial infections are good for maintaining health. According to Cadwell, until now, scientists have had mostly trace genetic evidence of a viromes existence, but none to confirm its normal presence in the gut or to clarify whether it plays a harmful, neutral, or helpful role. For their research, the team relied on their previous studies in mice genetically bred to develop inflammatory bowel disease, a condition believed to be caused by microbiome bacteria. The research showed that chronic MNV infection in these susceptible mice could produce the same inflammatory damage to intestinal tissue as chronic bacterial exposure, suggesting a similar, immune-triggering role.
Posted on: Thu, 20 Nov 2014 01:36:22 +0000
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