Extrapyramidal system

• Among findings outlined in the manuscript, SYNB1353 efficiently degraded both dietary and entero-recirculating methionine to prevent its absorption and subsequent conversion to homocysteine in preclinical models, suggesting that SYNB1353 should result in lowering of plasma homocysteine levels in HCU patients.
• In addition, in results from the clinical study in healthy volunteers, SYNB1353 was generally well-tolerated and adverse events were mild to moderate, transient, and predominantly gastrointestinal in nature.
• The proportion of subjects reporting gastrointestinal events were similar for the SYNB1353 and placebo cohorts (36.4% and 37.5%, respectively).
• “Importantly, the SYNB1353 program has built on learnings and progress from our other rare metabolic disease programs, including the design of the potential therapeutic, the preclinical research and the advancement in clinical development.”
  The publication, entitled “The Live Biotherapeutic SYNB1353 Decreases Plasma Methionine via Directed Degradation in Animal Models and Healthy Volunteers,” and published in the peer-reviewed journal, Cell Host & Microbe, is now available online at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S193131282400009X .

• Scientists have studied the intestine for many years, but even now they are learning surprising details about how it works.
• "This study shows that the microbiota—and products made by the microbiota—can dynamically control immune responses in the gut," Alenghat says.
• The research examines a reaction called type 2 immunity that occurs with chronic inflammatory conditions such as allergy and asthma.
• Until now, it was not clear if nor how the gut microbiome impacts tuft cells.

• Fox Restaurant Concepts will serve as PANDA's title sponsor and presenter of the 2024 "Children Helping Children" Fashion Show and Luncheon.
• PHOENIX, Jan. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- People Acting Now Discover Answers , the Phoenix-based, all-women's board known as PANDA, in collaboration with the Steele Children's Research Center , announced today its 2024 fundraising research project – The Deep Freeze: A Pediatric Biobank Project.
• This year, PANDA focuses on bringing a first-of-its-kind pediatric biobank to the Steele Children's Research Center.
• "The future of medical research is biobanking," said Dr. Fayez K. Ghishan, PANDA endowed director of the Steele Children's Research Center.

• Wegovy, Ozempic and Mounjaro are weight loss and diabetes drugs that have made quite a splash in health news.
• They target regulatory pathways involved in both obesity and diabetes and are widely considered breakthroughs for weight loss and blood sugar control.
• Here’s an inside-out perspective on the role natural gut hormones and healthy food play in metabolism and weight loss.

A broken gut

• These include GLP-1, a natural version of Wegovy and Ozempic.
• GLP-1 and other hormones like PYY help regulate blood sugar through the pancreas.

• Prior to modern processed foods, metabolic regulatory pathways were under the direction of a diverse healthy gut microbiome that used these hormones to naturally regulate your metabolism and appetite.
• Removal of these key food components and the resulting decrease in gut microbiome diversity may be an important factor contributing to the rise in obesity and diabetes.

A short track to metabolic health

• Researchers have demonstrated their effectiveness at weight loss and blood sugar control.
• These drugs complement other measures like gastric bypass surgery that are used in the most extreme cases of metabolic disease.
• Medical guidelines support the use of new incretin-based medications like Wegovy, Ozempic and Mounjaro to manage the interrelated metabolic conditions of diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease.

A near-magic bullet – for the right folks

Despite the success and prospect of these drugs to help populations that may benefit most from them, current prescribing practices have raised some questions. Should people who are only a little overweight use these drugs? What are the risks of prescribing these drugs to children and adolescents for lifelong weight management?

• These symptoms are related to how the drugs work to slow the gastrointestinal tract.
• Other more severe, but rare, side effects include pancreatitis and irreversible gastroparesis, or inflammation of the pancreas and stomach paralysis.

All roads lead to lifestyle

• Despite our greatest aspirations for quick fixes, it’s very possible that a healthy lifestyle remains the most important way to manage metabolic disease and overall health.
• This includes regular exercise, stress management, sleep, getting outdoors and a balanced diet.

Christopher Damman is on the scientific advisory board at One BIO and Supergut.