Medical advancements over the last several decades have made great strides in the treatment of HIV. Pharmaceutical treatments are able to contain and reduce a patient’s viral load to the point where it is nearly undetectable. But a cure remains frustratingly elusive due to the virus’s ability to evade the immune system. Researchers from Drexel University and the University of Pennsylvania, who specialize in modulating immune responses, have offered a new approach — one that’s likely familiar to anyone who has dealt with pest removal: setting a trap.

University of Louisville researchers have discovered how a naturally occurring microbial metabolite called urolithin A, or UroA, generated by gut bacteria after digestion of foods such as pomegranates, walnuts and berries, activates a protective pathway in the intestine that may help preserve gut health. This understanding may support future treatment strategies for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).