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Bifidobacteria are important for immunity, but they are not the only important microbe. The speaker notes that bifidobacteria are the microbe that is disappearing. Analyzing thousands of stool samples, out of 4,000 stool samples, there are only four that can be said with certainty “these are both microbiomes.” Out of the thousand samples analyzed, less than five percent have bifidobacteria.
The speaker highlights that loss of bifidobacteria is not universally linked to all conditions. It is present in Alzheimer's disease, with Alzheimer's patients having lots of bifidobacteria; Lyme disease patients also have lots of bifidobacteria. Crohn’s patients that have never been treated have lots of bifidobacteria. In autistic kids, there is enough data now; they showed data initially, and now more data and more labs reproducing that data show that there are lots of bifidobacteria in autism. The speaker mentions that “Loss of bifidobacteria in autism” can be addressed by replenishing bifidobacteria, and refers to this as proof of concept that the judge at the American College of Gastroenterology acknowledged, noting that this is what is needed to advance science to understand.
Loss of bifidobacteria was also noticed in patients with invasive cancer. The speaker says they published that data at the American College of Gastroenterology and presented at Digestive Disease Week, showing that if a patient had a non-aggressive cancer, they had a better level of bifidobacteria than a patient with invasive cancer who has zero.
Regarding therapeutic implications, the speaker asks whether modulating the gut to improve bifidobacteria is feasible and notes collaboration with multiple centers, including MD Anderson. The implication is to start modulating the gut and improving bifidobacteria in cancer patients rather than relying solely on chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
In summary, the research conducted at Progena Biome—a research lab—focuses on bifidobacteria, its variable presence across diseases, its potential replenishment in autism, and its association with cancer progression, highlighting ongoing work to modulate the gut microbiome as a therapeutic strategy.