Common stock of the merged company, Clene Inc., to commence trading on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the ticker symbol “CLNN” on December 31, 2020
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Clene Nanomedicine Closes Merger with Tottenham Acquisition I Limited and Provides Corporate Update
TORONTO and HOUSTON, Dec. 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Medicenna Therapeutics Corp. (“Medicenna” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: MDNA, TSX: MDNA), a clinical stage immuno-oncology company, announced today that it has entered into a sales agreement with SVB Leerink acting as sales agent (the “Sales Agreement”), pursuant to which the Company may, from time to time sell, through “at-the-market” offerings on the Nasdaq Capital Market (the “Nasdaq”) such number of common shares as would have an aggregate offering price of up to US$25 million (the “ATM Offering”) under the ATM Prospectus Supplement (as defined below).
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Medicenna Establishes At-the-Market Sales Facility
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, Dec. 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, MedMira Inc. (MedMira) (TSXV: MIR), is pleased to announce its validated REVEALCOVID-19TM PLUS Total Antibody Test for the detection of total antibodies against both the Nucleocapsid and Spike regions of the SARS-CoV-2. REVEALCOVID-19TM PLUS Total Antibody Test is an update to MedMira’s REVEALCOVID-19TM Total Antibody Test that addresses the total antibody testing demands arising from recent developments in COVID-19 vaccines across global markets.
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MedMira Announces Product Update
SAN DIEGO, Dec. 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Histogen Inc. (Nasdaq: HSTO), a clinical-stage therapeutics company focused on developing potential first-in-class therapeutics that ignite the body’s natural process to repair and maintain healthy biological function, today announced that it has it has priced a public offering of an aggregate of 14,000,000 shares of common stock (or common stock equivalents offered through the issuance of pre-funded warrants), together with accompanying warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 14,000,000 shares of common stock, at an effective public offering price of $1.00 per share and accompanying warrant. Each share of common stock (or common stock equivalent offered through the issuance of a pre-funded warrant) will be sold in the offering with one warrant to purchase one share of common stock. The warrants have an exercise price of $1.00 per share, are immediately exercisable, and expire five years following the date of issuance.
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Histogen Announces Pricing of $14.0 Million Upsized Public Offering
December 30, 2020 04:38 ET | Source: Research and Markets
Dublin, Dec. 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "CAR-T - Pipeline Insight, 2020" drug pipelines has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.
The "CAR-T - Pipeline Insight, 2020," report provides comprehensive insights about 250+ companies and 250+ pipeline drugs in CAR-T pipeline landscape. It covers the pipeline drug profiles, including clinical and nonclinical stage products. It also covers the therapeutics assessment by product type, stage, route of administration, and molecule type. It further highlights the inactive pipeline products in this space.
CAR-T: Overview
CAR-T is a type of treatment in which a patient's T cells (a type of immune system cell) are changed in the laboratory so they will attack cancer cells. T cells are taken from a patient's blood. Then the gene for a special receptor that binds to a certain protein on the patient's cancer cells is added to the T cells in the laboratory. The special receptor is called a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR). Large numbers of the CAR T cells are grown in the laboratory and given to the patient by infusion. CAR T-cell therapy is used to treat certain blood cancers, and it is being studied in the treatment of other types of cancer. Also called chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy.
Potential Mechanisms of CAR-T Cell-Mediated Toxicity
Significant progress has been made in the field of cancer immunotherapy, and CAR-T cells have shown outstanding efficacy in clinical trials. As with all technologies, CAR-T technologies also need to go through a long process of development, and CAR-T cell therapy has related acute and chronic toxicities that have become a roadblock on the developmental path. If these setbacks are not overcome, it will be difficult to make a more significant breakthrough.
Cytokine Release Syndrome
Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) is the most common toxic side effect in CAR-T cell therapy. CRS is a systemic inflammatory response caused by the significant increase in cytokines accompanied by the rapid in vivo activation and proliferation of CAR-T cells, usually occurring within a few days after the first infusion. CRS is a clinical condition with mild symptoms of fever, fatigue, headache, rash, joint pain, and myalgia. Severe CRS cases are characterized by tachycardia, hypotension, and high fever. Mild to moderate CRS is usually self-limiting and can be managed through close observation and supportive care. Severe CRS must be treated with tocilizumab or steroids alone for intensive treatment.
Advances in Research of CAR-T Cell Therapy for Solid Tumors
Although early CAR-T cell trials of solid tumors did not show the same success as observed in leukemia trials, a better understanding of the multiple barriers seen in solid tumors could promote the design of clinical trials for CAR-T cells. In this early stage of clinical development, CAR-T cells offer much hope. The ability of genetic manipulation techniques to modify CAR-T cells provides almost unlimited opportunities for other changes and improvements, thus providing a strong desire for future success.
Global Landscape of CAR-T Cell Therapy
At present, CAR-T cells are widely used in cellular immunotherapy for various tumors. According to statistics, more than 300 clinical trials of CAR-T cell therapies have been approved by many national drug regulatory agencies, including the FDA of the United States. Statistical data from these clinical trials show that although the effects of various clinical trials vary due to the use of different sources and the preparation techniques of CARs and T cells, as well as differences in pretreatment and combinations of drugs, overall, CAR-T cells are effective in treating tumors with an effective rate of 30% to 70% or even more than 90%. For example, the complete remission rate for r/r ALL treated with the Novartis drug CTL0l9, which the FDA has approved, is 93%. Perhaps CAR-T cell therapy will ultimately remedy the fate of human cancer.
CAR-T Emerging Drugs Chapters
This segment of the CAR-T report encloses its detailed analysis of various drugs in different stages of clinical development, including phase II, I, preclinical and Discovery. It also helps to understand clinical trial details, expressive pharmacological action, agreements and collaborations, and the latest news and press releases.
CAR-T: Therapeutic Assessment
This segment of the report provides insights about the different CAR-T drugs segregated based on following parameters that define the scope of the report, such as:
Major Players in CAR-T
There are approx. 250+ key companies which are developing the therapies for CAR-T. The companies which have their CAR-T drug candidates in the most advanced stage, i.e. phase III include, Janssen Research & Development, ViiV Healthcare, Sorrento Therapeutics, Celgene, Novartis, Abbott etc.
Report Highlights
Current Treatment Scenario and Emerging Therapies:
Key Players
Key Products
For more information about this drug pipelines report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/c6ze76
Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.
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Global CAR-T Pipeline Insight Report 2020: Overview, Landscape, Therapeutic Assessment, Current Treatment Scenario and Emerging Therapies -...
MILWAUKEE, Dec. 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Versiti Blood Centers and premier partner Noodles & Company are dishing out discounts for life-saving donations during National Blood Donor Month this January.
Since 2016, Noodles & Company has supported Versiti's mission by aligning as a community partner and donating over $1.3 million in discounts and coupons to blood donors. Throughout January 2020, all attempting blood donors will receive a coupon redeemable for $4 off their order when they donate at a Versiti donor center or select community blood drive.
January is National Blood Donor Month, which highlights the critical need for blood during winter when donations often decline. Donors of all blood types are needed, but especially O negative blood donors who carry the universal blood type given to people in emergency situations.
To schedule an appointment, visit versiti.org.
About Versiti Blood Centers Versiti is a not-for-profit organization headquartered in Milwaukee that specializes in blood services, esoteric diagnostic testing, organ, tissue and stem cell donation, medical services and leading-edge research. Founded in 1947, Versiti is the primary provider of blood products and services for more than 250 hospitals in five midwestern states: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin. Versiti collects more than 602,000 units of blood each year at 35 permanent donation sites and more than 12,000 community blood drives. For more, visit versiti.org.
SOURCE Versiti, Inc.
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Versiti Blood Centers and Noodles & Company Serve Up Thanks to Blood Donors - PRNewswire
While COVID-19 was no doubt the story of the year, Northeast Ohio's health care scene grabbed headlines for several other reasons.
Cleveland Clinic and Aetna, a CVS Health Company (NYSE: CVS), announced they would launch a co-branded insurance plan. And Massachusetts-based Devoted Health launched in Ohio, offering Medicare Advantage plans across Cleveland, Akron, Canton and North-Central Ohio.
Also this year, Bravo Wellness became a wholly owned subsidiary of Medical Mutual at the start of January. Bravo, a Cleveland-based provider of employee wellness programs, this summer acquired Chicago-based PUSH Wellness.
The region's health systems continued their growth and consolidation trends of past decades.
Lake Health, which in early 2020 announced its search for a strategic partnership, reached an agreement to join University Hospitals, pending regulatory approval, the two announced in December.
The news came a month after UH announced it would gain a minority interest in Western Reserve Hospital, an independent, physician-owned hospital in Cuyahoga Falls. It will be UH's first inpatient presence in Summit County where hospital ownership has shifted dramatically in the past few years, including in 2015 when Cleveland Clinic acquired Akron General Health System.
At the start of 2020, Summa Health was taking steps toward becoming a subsidiary of Southfield, Mich.-based Beaumont Health, but the deal fell apart. After pausing the process to focus on COVID-19, Beaumont ultimately walked away from partnership plans in May.
Though the pandemic initially slowed down the due diligence process, Cleveland Clinic ultimately reached an agreement with Sisters of Charity for Mercy Medical Center in Canton to become a full member of Cleveland Clinic. The deal is expected to be finalized Feb. 1, pending regulatory approval.
The Clinic also worked to grow its research capacity, establishing two new research centers in April following more than a year of planning: The Center for Immunotherapy and Precision Immuno-Oncology and the Center for Global and Emerging Pathogens Research. This summer, the system also opened its 107,000-square-foot Florida Research and Innovation Center in Port St. Lucie, Fla., which will collaborate with researchers in Cleveland.
Meanwhile, MetroHealth continued its own expansions this year. Alongside the ongoing construction for its nearly $1 billion campus transformation, the system this year announced a $42 million project to expand the number of behavioral health beds in Cleveland Heights and a $9 million investment into its Old Brooklyn campus.
MetroHealth also received a $42 million gift the largest in its history from JoAnn and Bob Glick to support programs that aim to reverse health inequities and improve community health in Greater Cleveland.
In addition to the growth of its health systems, Northeast Ohio's health care options expanded with several newcomers to the region as the market and demand for outpatient health care continues to grow.
NewVista Healthcare, based in Blue Ash (outside Cincinnati), announced plans to open two new substance use disorder (SUD) treatment centers in the Cleveland area. Cincinnati-based Queen City Hospice announced plans to enter the Cleveland market with the launch of Miracle City Hospice. Nashville-based Spero Health opened three Northeast Ohio locations to offer addiction treatment services. This summer, Miami-based ChenMed began opening three planned facilities in the Cleveland area. And Chicago-based Oak Street Health, which began opening primary care centers in Northeast Ohio a couple of years ago, has continued its growth in the region in 2020.
This year has presented what we all hope will be once-in-a-lifetime challenges. It has also sparked collaborations and innovation across the health care industry and beyond. With a vaccine offering a light at the end of the tunnel, health care leaders are beginning to think about how to draw on deepened relationships in the next normal. In the meantime, they continue to ask everyone to wear their masks, practice social distancing. wash their hands and stay safe, especially this holiday season.
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2020 health care year in review - Crain's Cleveland Business
While 2020 had its share of negative healthcare headlines, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continued to push through approvals on a large number of oncology therapies throughout the year, from acute myeloid leukemia (AML) to breast cancer and beyond.
Heres a look back at 2020s top 10 most popular FDA drug approvals in the oncology space, as determined by CURE readers.
In August, the FDA approved the expansion of Kyprolis (carfilzomib) in combination to with Darzalex (daratumumab) plus dexamethasone in once- and twice-weekly dosing regimens for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have received a maximum of three prior lines of therapy.
After granting it an accelerated approval in 2018, the Food and Drug Administration fully approved Venclexta (venetoclax) in combination with Vidaza (azacytidine), Dacogen (decitabine) or low dose cytarabine (LDAC) in newly diagnosed patients with AML aged 75 years or older in October.
The combination of Monjuvi (tafasitamab-cxix) and Revlimid (lenalidomide), approved in August, fills an unmet need for patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) who are also unable to undergo autologous stem cell transplant, said Dr. Gilles Salles.
The targeted drug Qinlock (ripretinib), which interferes with the activity of proteins that drive gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), was approved by the FDA in May for patients with advanced disease that has progressed despite treatment with other kinase inhibitors.
The FDAs approval of Braftovi (encorafenib) and Erbitux (cetuximab) with or without Mektovi (binimetinib) for adults with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) with a BRAF V600E mutation is a welcomed approval, according to Dr. Richard Goldberg, because patients with this mutation have a poorer than average prognosis and more limited treatment options than other colorectal cancer patients. Having an effective, rationally designed regimen for them that attacks multiple points in the pathway that drives their tumor was sorely needed, said Goldberg.
In May, the FDA approved Retevmo (selpercatinib), the first of its kind, to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), medullary thyroid cancer and other types of thyroid cancers with rearranged during transfection, or RET, alterations. The kinase inhibitor blocks a type of enzyme and helps prevent cancer cells from growing.
The FDA approved and granted priority review in September to Gavreto (pralsetinib) for the treatment of patients with metastatic, RET fusion-positive NSCLC. The FDA approval of Gavreto for RET fusion-positive non-small cell lung cancer is an important step towards our goal of providing an effective treatment option for every person diagnosed with lung cancer, no matter how rare or hard-to-treat their type of disease, said Dr. Levi Garraway, Genentechs chief medical officer and head of Global Product Development, in a statement.
The Food and Drug Administrations May approval of the first antibody-drug conjugate to treat patients with pretreated metastatic triple-negative breast cancer was a major milestone, according to Dr. Aditya Bardia, a breast medical oncologist at Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center.
This approval in April was big news for patients with a variety of adult cancers. The important social distancing measures for COVID-19 have created a number of challenges for people with cancer, including keeping to planned treatment schedules, Dr. Roy Baynes, senior vice president, head of global clinical development and chief medical officer at Merck Research Laboratories, said in a press release. Todays approval of an every-six-weeks dosing schedule for Keytruda gives doctors an option to reduce how often patients are at the clinic for their treatment.
Our most popular approval coverage for the combination of Nerlynx and Xeloda in February comes off the heels of the phase 3 NALA trial that looked at the efficacy of Nerlynx in combination with Xeloda, which found a significant improvement in patients progression free survival (the time from treatment to disease progression or worsening) compared to Tykerb (lapatinib) in combination with Xeloda.
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The Top 10 FDA Oncology Drug Approvals of 2020 - Curetoday.com
The American Association for the Advancement of Sciences recently announced its group of 2020 AAAS Fellows, which included several Indian Americans and South Asian Americans.
Nearly 500 AAAS members earned the lifetime distinction, according to the associations news release.
AAAS Fellowsare elected each year by their peers serving on theCouncil of AAAS, the organizations member-run governing body. The title recognizes important contributions to STEM disciplines, including pioneering research, leadership within a given field, teaching and mentoring, fostering collaborations and advancing public understanding of science, the release said.
Among the Fellows were ShailajaK.Mani of theBaylor College of Medicinefor distinguished contributions to molecular and cellular neuroscience focused on molecular transcriptional regulation of steroid hormone receptors, signal transduction pathways and role of the microbiome; K. RajaReddyof Mississippi State Universityfor distinguished contributions to the field environmental plant physiology and agricultural systems modeling and applications; and SureshK.Alahariof Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine for distinguished contributions in cancer research and teaching, with a focus on signal transduction.
Additionally, SwathiArurof The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center for discovery of Dicer1 phosphorylation by RAS/ERK signaling in Caenorhabditis elegans and implications for human fertility and cancer metastasis;
HitenD.Madhaniof U.C. San Francisco for distinguished contributions to the fields of molecular biology and genetics, particularly for developing fungal systems to uncover mechanisms of chromatin modifications and RNA splicing; TuliMukhopadhyayof Indiana University for distinguished contributions to the field of virology, particularly in structure and assembly of arthropod-borne viruses; RamaNatarajanof the City of Hope National Medical Center for distinguished contributions to the field of diabetes and its vascular complications, particularly for studies showing the roles of epigenetics and non-coding RNAs; and P. HemachandraReddyof Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center For pioneering contributions to the fields of Alzheimer's disease and mitochondrial neurobiology, particularly in discovering key role of mitochondria in neurodegenerative diseases and their treatment, were among the newly elected members
Additional members elected included RohitBhargavaof the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaignfor pioneering contributions to chemical imaging, including infrared spectroscopic imaging theory, development of instrumentation, and its applications to realize all-digital cancer pathology; VishvaDixitof Genentech Inc.for pioneering studies defining the biochemical framework illuminating many of the key components of the cell death pathway; PrashantK.Jain of theUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for distinguished contributions to the field of nanomaterial chemistry leading to atomistic understanding of artificial photosynthesis, multielectron transfer, catalysis and phase transitions; ManishChhowallaof the University of Cambridge (United Kingdom) for distinguished contributions to the field of two-dimensional materials, particularly using phase engineering to study their electronic, electrocatalytic and energy storage properties; VistaspM.Karbhariof TheUniversity of Texas at Arlington for distinguished contributions to the field of composites in civil infrastructure particularly in low-cost processing, durability and damage tolerance, rehabilitation and multi-threat mitigation; and SanjayKumarof U.C. Berkeley for distinguished contributions to the field of bioengineering, particularly the development of biomaterial and single-cell technologies to investigate mechanobiological signaling in health and disease.
SudipK.Mazumderof the University of Illinois at Chicago,for distinguished contributions to the field of multi-scale control and analysis of power-electronic systems; UdayB.Palof Boston University,for pioneering work providing novel materials-based solutions in the field of green engineering as applied to energy conversion and primary production of materials; HrideshRajanof Iowa State University,for distinguished contributions to data driven science, particularly to modularity and modular reasoning in computer software and the development of the Boa language and infrastructure; SureshK.Bhargavaof RMIT University (Australia),for an exceptional contribution to the fields of industrial chemistry and technology, particularly for molecular engineering, catalysis and nanotechnology bringing innovative solutions to the industries; MunindarP.Singhof North Carolina State University, for distinguished contributions to the field of computer science, particularly to foundations of multiagent systems and their applications in service-oriented computing, sociotechnical systems and governance; AnujSrivastavaof Florida State University,for distinguished contributions to the field of statistical pattern recognition, particularly for development of differential geometric approaches to statistical shape analysis; and SenduraiManiof The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center,for demonstrating that cancer can make its own cancer stem cells and promote plasticity, resulting in metastasis and chemoresistance by activating latent embryonic epithelial-mesenchymal transition, were among the newly elected members.
Also named were D.NageshwarReddyof the Asian Institute of Gastroenterology (India),for pioneering work in gastroenterology, particularly advances in therapeutic pancreatic biliary endoscopy and innovations in transgastric endoscopic surgery; and for service to international gastroenterology societies; Debomoy (Deb)K.Lahiriof Indiana University, for distinguished contributions to the field of molecular and translational neuroscience, particularly roles of epigenetics and microRNA on neuronal physiology and eventually treating human neurodegenerative diseases; NiraoM.Shahof Stanford University,for exceptional contributions to the field of behavioral neuroscience, particularly the dissection of neural circuits and transcriptomics controlling social behaviors.
Also named Fellows were M.N.V.RaviKumarof Texas A&M University,for distinguished contributions to the field of drug delivery, particularly the next-generation polyesters and non-competitive targeting strategies are of profound significance to the human health; and BulbulChakrabortyof Brandeis University, for important theoretical contributions to diverse areas of condensed matter physics, particularly disordered systems including frustrated magnets and granular materials.
TalatShahnazRahmanUniversity of Central Florida, for distinguished contributions to computational and theoretical nanoscience, in predictions of chemical, vibrational, and structural properties of low-dimensional systems, together with diversity in STEM; NandiniTrivediof The Ohio State University,for her contributions to the theoretical understanding of quantum matter, characterized by innovative use of quantum Monte Carlo techniques and close experimental collaborations; RamananLaxminarayanof the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy/Princeton University,for distinguished contributions to the field of economic epidemiology, with particular reference to the spread and control of antimicrobial resistance; and SudiptoBanerjeeof UCLA,for innovative contributions to Bayesian methodology with focus on spatially indexed information, for high-impact applications, for educational and mentoring excellence, professional service and academic administration were named.
A virtual induction ceremony for the 489 newly elected Fellows will take place on Feb. 13, 2021, the Saturday following the AAAS Annual Meeting.
The honorees will receive official certificates and rosette pins in gold and blue, colors symbolizing science and engineering, by mail.
The tradition of electing AAAS Fellows began in 1874. Since then, the recognition has gone to thousands of distinguished scientists, such as inventor Thomas Edison, elected in 1878, sociologist W. E. B. Du Bois (1905), anthropologist Margaret Mead (1934), computer scientist Grace Hopper (1963), physicist Steven Chu (2000), and astronaut Ellen Ochoa (2012). The 2020 group contains members of each ofAAASs 24 sections, the release notes.
Through studies in mice, researchers find evidence that having a healthful balance of gut microorganisms is important for good health.
Researchers from the Institut Pasteur, French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), and Inserm have found evidence that gut microbiota also plays a role in mood regulation and brain function.
Gut microbiota is the community of bacteria, fungi, and viruses that live in the digestive tract.
These findings in mice suggest that changes to gut bacterial communities may lead or contribute to depression. If humans have a similar mechanism, doctors might be able to use bacteria strains to treat mood disorders, such as depression.
A group of 16 researchers from several prominent French research institutions conducted the study, which appears in Nature Communications.
Studies have found that some people with depression experience dysbiosis, which is an imbalance or change in their intestinal microbiota.
Research conducted on rodents also shows that gut dysbiosis has associations with neurological changes linked with depression, such as:
Animal studies also show that gut microbiota helps regulate anxiety. It may also influence the development of neurological conditions caused by circuit dysfunctions, such as Parkinsons disease, Alzheimers disease, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Researchers think this is because gut bacteria release metabolites, tiny bits of food broken down by digestion that influence brain function. Metabolites may impact mood regulation by acting on the endocannabinoid system.
The endocannabinoid system is a complex cell-signaling system consisting of lipid (fat)-based neurotransmitters and their receptors.
It is found throughout the body and plays a role in important aspects of health, such as immune and nervous system function and cellular communication in the nervous system. It also regulates emotions, moods, and stress responses by activation of the systems main receptor, CB1.
Previous research supports the idea that restoring gut microbial health may help treat depression. In animal studies, prebiotic treatment influenced emotional behavior. In human studies, prebiotic supplementation also improved mood in people with depression.
But despite educated theories, researchers still do not know precisely how gut bacteria impact brain function.
Researchers in the recent study set out to find the mechanisms linking gut microbiota and mood disorders. A team of researchers from some of these same French institutions published a report earlier this year, which found that stress-induced changes in gut microbiota reduced the efficacy of the antidepressant fluoxetine in mice.
In the study, researchers submitted genetically identical mice to unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS), a mouse model of stress-induced depression, for 8 weeks.
This treatment caused the mice to develop depressive-like behaviors, such as reduced eating, grooming, weight loss, and hippocampal neurogenesis. The hippocampus is responsible for learning and memory and is heavily affected by several psychiatric and neurological conditions.
Researchers then transplanted fecal samples containing gut microbiota from control and UCMS-exposed mice into healthy mice. To serve as a control, mice that received fecal transplants were germ-free mice or received treatment with antibiotics for 6 days.
After 8 weeks, mice that received transplants from UCMS mice developed depression-like symptoms. The mice also experienced a reduction in the number of new brain stem cells and neurons in their hippocampus.
These findings show that transferring gut microbiota from stress-induced depressive mice to healthy mice induced depression-like behaviors.
Surprisingly, simply transferring the microbiota from an animal with mood disorders to an animal in good health was enough to bring about biochemical changes and confer depressive-like behaviors in the latter.
Pierre-Marie Lledo, head of the Perception and Memory Unit at the Institut Pasteur (CNRS/Institut Pasteur), joint last author of the study
To figure out how this occurred, researchers explored the possibility that UCMS-exposed microbiota may trigger depression by altering metabolism. They found that mice with UCMS microbiota had significantly reduced levels of certain fatty acids in their blood and brain.
The reduced fatty acids included monoacylglycerols (MAG), diacylglycerols (DAG), polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), and linoleic acid. monoacylglycerols (MAG), diacylglycerols (DAG), polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), and linoleic acid. Variations of two of these fatty acids, DAD and PUFA, are converted into endocannabinoids (eCB).
The researchers speculate that gut dysbiosis may cause these changes in fatty acid levels. Studies link the dysregulation of the endocannabinoid system and its central receptor, CB1, with depression in both UCMS-model mice and humans.
In the study, the researchers found that mice with UCMS microbiota had greatly reduced levels of eCBs in their hippocampus and blood. They also found that mice with UCMS microbiota had reduced levels of Lactobacillus bacteria.
The researchers were able to reduce the depressive impact of the UCMS microbiota by enhancing CB1 levels and giving the mice a strain of Lactobacillus bacteria orally.
These findings suggest that chronic stress, diet, and the gut microbiota contribute to the development of depression-like behaviors via the endocannabinoid system.
This discovery shows the role played by the gut microbiota in normal brain function, says Grard Eberl, Head of the Microenvironment and Immunity Unit (Institut Pasteur/Inserm) and joint last author of the study.
More specifically, imbalances in the gut bacterial community that reduce fatty acid levels vital to the endocannabinoid system and brain function seem to encourage the development of depression-like behaviors.
These findings mean certain bacteria could act as a natural antidepressant, treating mood disorders by restoring gut microbial health. And this is promising news, considering the slew of potential adverse side effects and relatively low efficacy rate of most current antidepressants.
To confirm their results, the researchers will need to test their findings in humans. The researchers say that new research will also need to explore whether changes to the gut microbiota impact other brain targets of the endocannabinoid system in the same way.
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Gut microbiota: How does it interact with the brain? - Medical News Today