Fecal microbiota transplants (FMT) have been touted as a potential treatment for a variety of conditions, from inflammatory bowel diseases, obesity, and type 2 diabetes to autism. New research from the University of Chicago, however, cautions against widespread use of FMT because of the potential for long-lasting, unintended health consequences for recipients.

Scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have found that levels of circulating taurine, a conditionally essential amino acid involved in multiple important biological functions, is unlikely to serve as a good biomarker for the aging process. In blood samples from humans, monkeys, and mice, scientists found that circulating taurine levels often increased or remained constant with age. Analysis of longitudinal data showed that within individual differences in taurine levels often exceeded age-related changes. Researchers also found that taurine levels were inconsistently associated with health outcomes across age, species, and cohorts, suggesting that declining taurine is not a universal marker of aging. Instead, its impact may depend on individual physiological contexts shaped by genetic, nutritional, and environmental factors.

New research from the University of Minnesota Medical School demonstrated that using cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging — known as CMR phenotyping — can help identify patients with suspected cardiac sarcoidosis who are at increased risk of sudden cardiac death. The findings were recently published in the European Heart Journal.