So what if we were able to manipulate that, the next study
done on mice multiple time did that. Injecting mice with different probiotics,
and bacteria. In one example they would inject an aggressive or anxious mice
with a bacteria that relaxes or calms the body, it was found to impact the
brain exponentially. The article is inefficient however, it seems like the idea
of microorganisms impacting the brain is a unique concept. Where it is lacking
however it does the unexpected by opening your mind to the possibilities of the
unknown. He introduces such things like curing mental disorders with bacteria.
He introduces a patient that is beginning to test with probiotic introduction.
But the results of hers aren't necessarily needed, it is already known with a
study they did with yogurt, by ingesting yogurt it was found to lower your
amount of anxiety. All of this information is fascinating, could we cure serious
crippling mental illnesses by simply injecting the patients with microorganisms,
if we could do that could we cure such devastating things like cancer with
them.
Citations
Stein,Rob Gut Bacteria Might Guide the Workings of our minds. November 18,2013, Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/11/18/244526773/gut-bacteria-might-guide-the-workings-of-our-minds on January 29,2013
I found this to be chock full of useful information from start to finish, by scientists discovering that microbes can not only change who we are as people but they can also effect how we operate this will be great to know in future years of research. Through this I can definitely see the continued benefits of microbe research which tell us more and more through each discovery just how microbes function within all of us. I have definitely heard that microbes (probiotics) found in yogurt can be beneficial to ones health, but I never knew it could help depressed people out with their mood. That is a very interesting thought to take in. Some questions it raises though are that can we manipulate ones feelings now through different microbial injections? If so, will this be harmful or helpful for future research?
ReplyDeleteI previously knew that microorganisms live all around us and thanks to an article I read, I found out an unimaginable amount of bacteria live inside us but I would have never thought they affect brain structure and activity. Its exciting to read that bacteria may one day be the cure for many mental illnesses. I can assume that no humans were tested with any bacteria due to health risks but I do wonder how that might have turned out. I do ask myself a question though, since your article mentioned that animal and human brains function differently due to different bacteria present in their bodies, could it bacteria from another species that will cure mental illnesses in humans?
ReplyDeleteGreat image to start off with--I loved it! This topic is one of the most interesting of the human microbiome studies. How microbes can affect our behavior stimulates my desire to know more. Do we know all the possible negative effects of adding these microbes? Interesting question you raise at the end of your reply Noel.
ReplyDeleteWow, Noel the question you posed was truly interesting, many things in science are unclear, by researching more into this topic we could perhaps answer your question, the problem is testing. For a type of medication or research method to be implemented it has to take at-least 8 years before it even sees human trials, that is if to say it actually makes it to them. As for your question Diana I feel like with many things the research is something that cannot be known until the human trials actually exist, and even if they do the symptoms might not show up till later on.
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