Iron supplementation and fortification are used to treat iron deficiency, which is often associated with gastrointestinal conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer. Within the gut, commensal bacteria contribute to maintaining systemic iron homeostasis. Disturbances that lead to excess iron promote the replication and virulence of enteric pathogens. Consequently, research has been interested in better understanding the effects of iron supplementation and fortification on gut bacterial composition and overall gut health. While animal and human trials have shown seemingly conflicting results, these studies emphasize how numerous factors influence gut microbial composition. Understanding how different iron formulations and doses impact specific bacteria will improve the outcomes of iron supplementation and fortification in humans. Furthermore, discerning the nuances of iron supplementation and fortification will benefit subpopulations that currently do not respond well to treatment.

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first published study to characterize the effects of oral iron supplementation on the gut microbiomes of Cambodian WRA. Our study found that iron supplementation with ferrous bisglycinate increases the relative abundance of Enterobacteriaceae , which is a family of bacteria that includes many Gram-negative enteric pathogens like Salmonella , Shigella , and Escherichia coli .

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are essential mediators of cellular homeostasis by maintaining protein functionality and stability, and activating appropriate immune cells. HSP activity is influenced by a variety of factors including diet, microbial stimuli, environment and host immunity. The overexpression and down-regulation of HSPs is associated with various disease phenotypes, including the inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) such as Crohn’s disease (CD). While the precise etiology of CD remains unclear, many of the putative triggers also influence HSP activity. The development of different CD phenotypes therefore may be a result of the disease-modifying behavior of the environmentally-regulated HSPs. Understanding the role of bacterial and endogenous HSPs in host homeostasis and disease will help elucidate the complex interplay of factors. Furthermore, discerning the function of HSPs in CD may lead to therapeutic developments that better reflect and respond to the gut environment.

Introduction: The COVID‐19 pandemic has changed healthcare service delivery. We examined the overall impact of COVID‐19 on people living with HIV in British Columbia (BC), Canada, with a special focus on the potential impact of COVID‐19 on antiretroviral treatment interruptions (TIs).Methods: Purposive sampling was used to enrol people living with HIV aged ≥19 years across BC into the STOP HIV/AIDS Program Evaluation study between January 2016 and September 2018. Participants completed surveys at baseline enrolment and 18 and 36 months later. Additional COVID‐19 questions were added to the survey in October 2020. TIs were defined as >60 days late for antiretroviral therapy (ART) refill using data from the BC HIV Drug Treatment Program. Generalized linear mixed models were used to examine trends in TIs over time and associations with reported health service access.Results: Of 581 participants, 6.1%–7.7% experienced a TI during each 6‐month period between March 2019 and August 2021. The frequency of TIs did not statistically increase during the COVID‐19 epidemic. Among the 188 participants who completed the COVID‐19 questionnaire, 32.8% reported difficulty accessing healthcare during COVID‐19, 9.7% reported avoiding continuing a healthcare service due to COVID‐19‐related concerns, and 74.6% reported using virtual healthcare services since March 2020. In multivariable analysis, the odds of a TI in any 6‐month period were not significantly different from March to August 2019. None of the reported challenges to healthcare services were associated with TIs.Conclusions: Although some participants reported challenges to accessing services or avoidance of services due to COVID‐19, TIs were not more likely during COVID‐19 than before.

Phage therapy is a promising tool to combat the global threat of antimicrobial resistance. Clinicians, as part of interdisciplinary teams, play an integral role in identifying patients for therapy, delivering phages, and monitoring treatment outcomes and safety. As such, in the context of rapidly evolving regulatory landscapes, clinician insight is crucial for advancement of phage therapy. In this study, we describe the first published international anonymized survey aimed at identifying attitudes and experiences of clinicians and healthcare professionals towards phage therapy. We distributed the survey to participants in the Global Clinical Phage Rounds, a network of >300 phage clinicians, health professionals, and scientists, from October 15, 2024 - January 30, 2025. Thirty respondents representing North America, Europe, Oceania, Africa, and Asia completed the survey (response rate 9.6%). The majority of respondents were very well-informed about phage therapy and 93% would consider enrolling their patients in phage therapy randomized controlled trials. Respondents identified Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella species, and Staphylococcus aureus as priority organisms and bone/joint, respiratory, and urinary tract infections as priority syndromes. Respondents had concerns about clinical use evidence, regulatory barriers, and accessing phage. Twenty respondents reported experience with phage therapy, so answered additional questions. These respondents acquired phages from sources like phage banks, industry, and importation from other countries. Respondents delivered phage therapy primarily in single-use cases via parenteral/intravenous, topical, or inhalation routes. Experienced respondents endorsed combinations of monitoring before, during, and/or after phage therapy. These results serve as a guiding initiative to improve phage therapy integration in healthcare.