{"id":56957,"date":"2023-06-15T16:29:04","date_gmt":"2023-06-15T06:29:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hudsonorgau.wpengine.com\/?post_type=hdsn_news_post&p=56957"},"modified":"2024-07-09T10:05:26","modified_gmt":"2024-07-09T00:05:26","slug":"where-the-microbiome-and-the-immune-system-meet","status":"publish","type":"hdsn_news_post","link":"https:\/\/hudson.org.au\/news\/where-the-microbiome-and-the-immune-system-meet\/","title":{"rendered":"Where the microbiome meets the immune system"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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When it works as intended, the human gut is rarely given a thought \u2013 but that is rare luxury for the 130,000 Australians with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)<\/a>. Associate Professor Samuel Forster<\/a> is unlocking the mysteries of the microbiome and the immune system to help people with IBD like Marisa (see story below). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur microbiome research is focused on understanding the naturally occurring bacteria we carry with us every day, which play a critical role in keeping us healthy,\u201d A\/Prof Forster says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe know these hundreds of gut microbiome bacterial species interact with the immune system and regulate processes such as inflammation. But we don\u2019t yet know the \u2018correct\u2019 combination of bacteria for anyone at any particular time, or how to maintain it. \u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDespite their importance for our health, many gut microbiome microbial species are being lost due to changes in our lifestyles, diet and other factors they rely on to survive. We aim to collect these species, understand how they can be beneficial and ensure they are preserved for future generations of medicines.\u201d Associate Professor Samuel Forster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Immunology and the microbiome <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A\/Prof Forster\u2019s work saw him published in two prestigious Nature<\/em> group journals in 2022 and he was one of two Australian scientists to be awarded a CSL Centenary Fellowship of $1.25 million over five years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using a combination of computational analysis and microbiology to identify gut microbiome bacterial strains that influence disease, he collaborates closely with Paediatric Gastroenterologist Dr Edward Giles <\/a>from Monash Health, and the Adelaide-based biotechnology company B<\/a>iomeBank<\/a> to develop new therapies for IBD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With cutting-edge technologies, including the gut-on-a-chip, which allows individual gut microbiome bacterial species to be studied in the lab, A\/Prof Forster also seeks to answer fundamental questions about the immunology of the gut and its microbiome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Microbiome, AMR and IBD<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The potential benefits will be felt in IBD, as well as addressing the emerging threats from antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and many more areas of medical need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy team is working towards a future where we will have a comprehensive bank of purified microbiome derived bacterial isolates, the ability to accurately measure a person\u2019s microbiome state, replace the missing species and maximise health for every individual.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Marisa’s IBD story<\/h2>\n\n\n
\n
\"Marisa<\/a>
Marisa <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Stomach pains, hospitalisations, teenage years blighted by illness and the puffiness caused by steroid treatments \u2013 this is the reality of living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), according to 23-year-old nurse, Marisa Coniglione.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

IBD \u2013 the collective term for Crohn\u2019s disease and ulcerative colitis \u2013 is a chronic, painful and disruptive inflammation of the lining of the gut, with no known cause or cure. Treatment involves expensive immune suppression that can have life-changing side effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marisa has lived with the social, psychological and emotional toll of IBD since the age of 11. While three-hour long infusion treatments given every eight weeks have made the condition more manageable, she still struggles with flare-ups and side effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI feel awful and there are many risks that come with a suppressed immune system such as frequent infections. I\u2019m battling a bacterial throat infection right now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She hopes A\/Prof Forster\u2019s gut microbiome research will lead to treatments that make it easier to enjoy life and give future patients fewer difficulties in their teens through to adulthood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When it works as intended, the human gut is rarely given a thought \u2013 but that is rare luxury for the 130,000 Australians with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), like Marisa…  Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":56961,"menu_order":0,"template":"","issue":[],"tag":[],"story-type":[85,88],"treatment-type":[],"class_list":["post-56957","hdsn_news_post","type-hdsn_news_post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","story-type-discovery","story-type-real-lives"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMicrobiome and the immune system | Hudson Institute<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How are the gut microbiome and the immune system connected? 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