Beneficial Bacteria Prevents Disease

Beneficial Bacteria Prevents Disease

The beneficial bacteria that line the intestinal tract may help to prevent the body's immune system from causing inflammation in the gut, new research suggests. 

This discovery raises hopes for a treatment for the millions of people who suffer from the chronic inflammation associated with diseases like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Researchers conducted experiments to examine the effects of different bacteria that normally reside in the gut. " We found that a subset of non-illness causing bacteria actually blocked the inflammatory response," said lead author Dr. Andrew Neish, of the at Emory University School of Medicine, in Atlanta, Georgia. 

"What we found most interesting is that these bacteria are able to control the host's immune system," Dr. Neish told Reuters Health. "The bacteria appear to turn down the immune response for their own benefit -- to stay in the intestinal tract without being attacked by the body's immune system." Read more