Researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City have identified a naturally occurring gut microbe that may help defeat Clostridium difficile infections, according to a study in Nature.
Researchers tested different antibiotics on mice that resulted in microbiota changes and various susceptibility to C. difficile.
They found Clostridium scindens, a microbe that is part of the gut's natural flora,was linked to resistance to C. difficile infections. Additionally, when administering Clostridium scindens, resistance to infection was enhanced, according to the study.
Researchers suggest Clostridium scindens is a strong probiotic candidate for restoring the gut microbiome in the event of a C. difficle infection and that their findings have implications for designing antimicrobials and therapeutics for patients at risk of developing such infections.
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