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Published online 19 September 2008 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2008.1121
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Gut microbes fend off diabetes in mice
Naturally occurring bacteria help keep the immune system in check
Microbes that call the intestines home help ward off type 1 diabetes in mice, researchers have found.
The findings, published online today by Nature1, are the latest in a series of revelations about the impact that resident bacteria may have on health.
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"But I can see that the implications could extend far beyond just the lab", concludes rightly Bhagirath Singh, scientific director of the Institute of Infection and Immunity at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research in London, Ontario.As a matter of fact, not all mice as well as not all humans, under negative environmental conditions, can become diabetic, at all. As I wrote also in www.nature.com, http://blogs.nature.com/news/thegreatbeyond/2008/09/cashing_in_on_personal_genomic_1.html#comments ;http://blogs.nature.com/news/thegreatbeyond/2008/09/cashing_in_on_personal_genomic_1.html#comments ;http://nostoc.stanford.edu/cgibin/x1y3z2z4y3f5o4o6b5a7r6b7a8z.cgi/010110A/http/www.nature.com/news/2008/080604/full/453709a.html ; http://blogs.nature.com/news/thegreatbeyond/2008/06/dont_worry_australia_youre_not.html#comments ; http://blogs.nature.com/news/thegreatbeyond/2008/06/dont_worry_australia_youre_not.html#comments ; http://www.nature.com/news/2008/080606/full/news.2008.879.html?q=2#last-comment http://blogs.nature.com/news/thegreatbeyond/2008/07/and_the_fan_club_lives_on.html#comments (If you like it,see my website www.semeioticabiofisica.it), a lot of quantum-biophysical-semeiotic constitutions really exist, possibly associated with the relative Inherited Real Risks, conditio sine qua non of the relative disorders. As a consequence in all researches have to be enrolled exclusively MICE and humans, involved by the relative constitution and Inherited Real Risk. In my opinion, nowadays scientific advances continue to encounter greatest difficulties, the same of earlier periods. Let's remember, e.g., Pasteur and Sammelweiss. In fact, new theories are better than the old ones, if they permit us to forcast more events! With the aid of Quantum Biophysical Semeiotics, I've discovered the untill now unknown, newborn-pathological, subtype a) oncological , and b), aspecific, type I, Endoarteriolar Blocking Devices in tissue, wherein does really exist the real risk of human common and severe diseases, as malignancy and diabetes. Obviously that happens in individuals with defined Biophysical Semeiotics Constitutions (Bibliography in the above-cited website) (1-6). Interestingly, e.g., in Diabetes Primary Prevention (PP), we need new clinical tools, aiming to lower the increasing number of patients, although the present, expensive screening: http://www.semeioticabiofisica.it, Practical Applications: Diabetes, and Biophysical-Semeiotic Constitutions (1-7). For instance, in the normal Langheran?s islets microcirculatory bed, there are exclusively ?normal? type II (= in arterioles, according to Hammersen), but not type I (= in small arterioles) endoarteriolar blocking devices, i.e. EBD, of first and second classes, according to S.B.Curri (See http://www.semeioticabiofisica.it/microangiologia). In health, i.e., not involved by Diabetic Constitution, we cannot observe type I, newborn-pathological, EBD in above-mentioned biological system. On the contrary, in individuals involved by diabetic constitution as well as diabetic "Real Risk" and overt diabetes, of course, we observe with the aid of Quantum Biophysical Semeiotics also type I, newborn-pathological, subtype b) aspecific , EBD, facilitating the diagnosis and consequently diabetes primary prevention. In addition, the evaluation of Insulin Secretion Acute Pick Renal Test is significantly impaired, corroborating the clinical diagnosis (1-3) (See above cited-website, Practical Applications, and Glossary). Finally, an interesting clinical tool in recognizing diabetic constitution-dependent inherited real risk, as well as in diagnosing diabetes since early stages and diabetic monitoring proved to be Bedside Biophysical-Semeiotic Osteocalcin Test (10). 1) Stagnaro S., Stagnaro-Neri M. Valutazione percusso-ascoltatoria del Diabete Mellito. Aspetti teorici e pratici. Epat. 32, 131, 1986 2) Stagnaro-Neri M., Stagnaro S. Introduzione alla Semeiotica Biofisica. Il Terreno Oncologico. Travel Factory, Roma, 2004. http://www.travelfactory.it/semeiotica_biofisica.htm 3) Stagnaro S., Stagnaro-Neri M., Le Costituzioni Semeiotico-Biofisiche.Strumento clinico fondamentale per la prevenzione primaria e la definizione della Single Patient Based Medicine. Travel Factory, Roma, 2004. http://www.travelfactory.it/libro_costituzionisemeiotiche.htm 4) Stagnaro S., Stagnaro-Neri M. Single Patient Based Medicine.La Medicina Basata sul Singolo Paziente: Nuove Indicazioni della Melatonina. Travel Factory, Roma, 2005. http://www.travelfactory.it/libro_singlepatientbased.htm 5) Stagnaro S. Pivotal role of Biophysical Semeiotic Constitutions in Primary Prevention. Cardiovascular Diabetology, 2:1, 2003 http://www.cardiab.com/content/2/1/13/comments#5753 6) Stagnaro S. Stagnaro Sergio. Newborn-pathological Endoarteriolar Blocking Devices in Diabetic and Dislipidaemic Constitution and Diabetes Primary Prevention. The Lancet. March 06 2007. http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140673607603316/comments?totalcomments=1. 7) Stagnaro S., West PJ., Hu FB., Manson JE., Willett WC. Diet and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes. N Engl J Med. 2002 Jan 24;346(4):297-298. [Medline] 8) Stagnaro Sergio. New bedside way in Reducing mortality in diabetic men and women. Ann. Int. Med.2007. http://www.annals.org/cgi/eletters/0000605-200708070-00167v1 9) Stagnaro Sergio. Single Patient Based Medicine: its paramount role in Future Medicine. Public Library of Science. http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=read-response 2005 10) Stagnaro Sergio. Bedside Biophysical-Semeiotic Osteocalcin Test in Diagnosing and Monitoring Diabetes. The Lancet, January 28, 2008. http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140673608601014/comments?action=view&totalComments=2
I have to admit to some scepticism about the hygiene hypothesis. It seems to me that the data used to support it could also be explained by vitamin D levels. We know for example that vit. D levels are typically lower in urban residents compared to rural residents. This could explain the rural-urban split seen in diseases statistics and why urbanisation can increase the prevalence of many disorders. Also it seems plausible that children with many siblings are more likely to play outside than children with few or none. Furthermore vitamin D levels are already known to be a risk factor for diabetes and many other disorders. Its role in the immune system may also provide a possible link to allergies. On the other hand, I have no idea what the link with gut microbes would be.