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Jeffrey S. Buguliskis, PhD, Technical Editor
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Grab your pumpkin spiced latte and apple cider donuts, as we discuss this week's science news on this beautiful autumnal day. Interestingly, our two top stories this week are related to dietary issues. First up, was a story from investigators at the University of California, San Francisco, and Harvard University, who provided evidence for the first time that eating raw vs. cooked food can have a fundamental impact on the microbial communities that naturally live in the gut. The researchers suggested that their results could have implications for strategies to optimize microbial health and provide new insights into how cooking may have altered the evolution of the gut microbiome.
Subsequently, researchers based at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston presented new data that described how high levels of fructose in the diet inhibit the liver's ability to metabolize fat properly. Curiously, the scientists noticed that his effect is observed when a high-fat diet is supplemented by fructose—but not glucose. The authors noted that this contrasts the impact of adding more glucose to the diet, which promotes the liver's ability to burn fat, and therefore actually makes for a healthier metabolism.
Pushing away from the dinner table, we focus our scientific attention onto cancer and a new study from researchers at Arizona State University's Biodesign Institute which reports on the identification of more than 200,000 cancer neoantigens, which could feasibly lead to the development of broad-spectrum cancer vaccines, as well as tumor type-specific treatments or patient-personalized vaccines.
Finally, we have an exclusive story from GEN's senior correspondent Julianna LeMieux, PhD. Dr. LeMieux took a deep dive into genomics' potential next technological boom—artificial intelligence (AI). Speaking with top investigators such as Eric Topol, MD at Scripps and Heidi Rehm, PhD at Massachusetts General Hospital, Dr, LeMieux set out to explore how precision medicine plans to move forward on the back AI knowledge. It is a fascinating and insightful read that will make any autumn day feel a bit crisper!
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