The powerful immune responses elicited by the mRNA vaccines targeting the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein contribute to their high efficacy. Yet, their efficacy can vary greatly between individuals. For vaccines not based on mRNA, cumulative evidence suggests that differences in the composition of the gut microbiome, which impact vaccine immunogenicity, are some of the factors that contribute to variations in efficacy. However, it is unclear if the microbiome impacts the novel mode of immunogenicity of the SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines. We conducted a prospective longitudinal cohort study of individuals receiving SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines where we measured levels of anti-Spike IgG and characterized microbiome composition, at pre-vaccination (baseline), and one week following the first and second immunizations. While we found that microbial diversity at all timepoints correlated with final IgG levels, only at baseline did microbial composition and predicted function correlate with vaccine immunogenicity. Specifically, the phylum Desulfobacterota and genus Bilophila, producers of immunostimulatory LPS, positively correlated with IgG, while Bacteroides was negatively correlated. KEGG predicted pathways relating to SCFA metabolism and sulfur metabolism, as well as structural components such as flagellin and capsular polysaccharides, also positively correlated with IgG levels. Consistent with these findings, depleting the microbiome with antibiotics reduced the immunogenicity of the BNT162b2 vaccine in mice. These findings suggest that gut microbiome composition impacts the immunogenicity of the SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines.

Boswellia serrata, commonly known as frankincense, has been used for centuries as a natural anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial remedy for many illnesses. However, the effect of the bioactive ingredient of it, 3-O-acetyl-11-keto-b-boswellic acid (AKBA), on both the gut microbiome and blood metabolites, is not known. In this study, we observe the effect of this isolated active ingredient orally on both male and female mice. Gut microbiota and blood metabolites were determined at the beginning and end of a 14-day consumption period. AKBA significantly decreased gut bacterial richness in male mice, and had no effect on female mice. Akkermansia muciniphila, associated with weight loss and anti-inflammation, was found to be significantly increased in both male and female mice, along with an increase in Bifidobacterium in female mice. Akkermansia muciniphila and Bifidobacterium were plated on media containing varying levels of AKBA (0%, 0.001%, 0.01%, and 0.1%). All concentrations of AKBA completely inhibited growth of Akkermansia muciniphila but had no effect on Bifidobacterium. Several blood metabolites differed with AKBA between both males and females. These results show the potential benefits of dietary Boswellia serrata on the modulation of gut microbiome composition, along with differences between sexes.

There is no consensus on diagnostic criteria for hip and knee periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs). This study evaluated Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), International Consensus Meeting 2018 (ICM2018), and European Bone and Joint Society (EBJIS) criteria, finding IDSA most accurate for early PJI and knee infections, while ICM2018 and EBJIS were superior for delayed and late cases. Diagnostic approaches should consider infection timing and context.

Young-onset colorectal cancer is an increasing concern worldwide due to the growing prevalence of Westernized lifestyles in childhood and adolescence. Environmental factors during early life, particularly early-life nutrition, significantly contribute to the increasing incidence. Recently, there have been reports of beneficial effects, including anti-inflammation and anti-cancer, of a unique fungus (Antrodia camphorate, AC) native to Taiwan. The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of AC supplementation in early life on the development of young-onset intestinal tumorigenesis. APC^1638N mice were fed with a high-fat diet (HF) at 4–12 weeks of age, which is equivalent to human childhood/adolescence, before switching to a normal maintenance diet for an additional 12 weeks up to 24 weeks of age, which is equivalent to young to middle adulthood in humans. Our results showed that the body weight in the HF groups significantly increased after 8 weeks of feeding (p < 0.05). Following a switch to a normal maintenance diet, the change in body weight persisted. AC supplementation significantly suppressed tumor incidence and multiplicity in females (p < 0.05) and reduced IGF-1 and Wnt/β-catenin signaling (p < 0.05). Moreover, it altered the gut microbiota, suppressed inflammatory responses, and created a microenvironment towards suppressing tumorigenesis later in life.