A routine screening turned into a life-changing diagnosis for Angela Tripido. After learning she had stage 4 colorectal cancer that had spread to her liver, she faced months of treatment, multiple surgeries and uncertainty about what came next.

When the cancer returned, a liver transplant offered a new path forward.

Watch: A routine screening reveals stage 4 cancer, leads to life-changing transplant

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video (2:35) is in the downloads at the end of this post. Please courtesy: "Mayo Clinic News Network." Read the script.

Screening

"I have lived a super healthy life. You know, always been an athlete, always working out," says Angela.

"I ended up having my, what I would just call, 50th (birthday) screening colonoscopy. The nurse said, 'The doctor will be over in a minute. We're just getting your husband.' I knew immediately that wasn't good," she says. "(The doctor) showed us some pictures and said, 'You have stage 4 colorectal cancer."

Additional imaging showed the cancer had spread to her liver.

Near her home in South Florida, Angela began treatment with chemotherapy and a series of surgeries to remove tumors.

But the cancer returned.

"(Another institution) identified some recurrent lesions in the liver," says Dr. Kris Croome, a Mayo Clinic transplant surgeon. She was not felt to be resectable because she didn't have adequate liver left."

That's when Angela turned to Mayo Clinic for another option.

"She was an excellent candidate for our liver transplant," says Dr. Croome. "She was otherwise a very young, healthy person, and so we felt that if we were able to do a liver transplant, we would be able to clear her of her disease."

"As scary as everything was that was on the plate of what was coming, I want to live, and I want no tumors in me," says Angela.

The wait

Once Angela's disease was confined to her liver and she completed a comprehensive evaluation, she qualified for transplant and was placed on the waiting list.

"My phone rang," Angela remembers. "The voice on the other end said, 'I'm calling to see if you are interested in liver that we believe will be a perfect match for you.'"

After an anxious night with little sleep, transplant day arrived on July 7, 2025. She remembers the final moments with the surgical team before the procedure began.

"I always say to the team, right before they put me under, 'Thank you all for taking really good care of me.' And there was this nice gentleman next to me, one of the nurses, and he was like, 'We've got you, don't worry,'" says Angela.

Good news

The surgery was a success.

"What the transplant has given me is there's a lot more hope for longevity — not having chemo in me, quality of life," says Angela.

Nearly a year after her transplant, Angela is getting back to the life she loves. She and her husband have celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary. They're traveling again and raising awareness in the community.

"We were involved in a charity run locally to promote screening for colon cancer with one of the local health groups, and had the opportunity to run into her," says Dr. Croome. "Just to see her out and about enjoying her life disease-free, I think, really is why we do all this."

Angela also carries deep gratitude for the organ donor who made it possible.

"You can give someone a chance at a longer life and a healthier life, and that's a miracle," she says. "I will be writing that letter and thanking that family, and I hope they know what it's given me."

Related stories:

• How innovation is shaping the future of transplant care (VIDEO)
• Mayo Clinic Q&A: What is life like after an organ transplant or donation?
• Mayo Clinic Minute: How liver transplant is transforming care for patients with advanced colorectal cancer

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The findings offer new insight into how the immune system and gut microbiome interact in this chronic condition and point to potential new therapeutic strategies.

IBD, which includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, affects millions of people worldwide. The condition is driven in part by the immune system reacting to normally harmless bacteria in the gut, reflecting a breakdown in what is known as immune tolerance. Symptoms of ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease usually include belly pain, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, extreme tiredness and weight loss.

While many current therapies focus on reducing inflammation, less is understood about how to restore balanced interactions between the immune system and the gut microbiome.

"This study suggests vitamin D may help rebalance how the immune system sees gut bacteria," says lead author John Mark Gubatan, M.D., a gastroenterologist at Mayo Clinic in Florida. "That's an important step toward understanding how we might restore immune tolerance in IBD."

In the study, researchers evaluated 48 people with IBD who had low vitamin D levels. Participants received weekly vitamin D supplements for 12 weeks. Blood and stool samples collected before and after treatment were analyzed using advanced sequencing to map interactions between immune responses and the gut microbiome.

Vitamin D supplementation was associated with increased levels of immunoglobulin A (IgA), which is typically linked to protective immune responses, and decreased levels of immunoglobulin G (IgG), more often associated with inflammation. The researchers also observed changes in immune signaling pathways and increased activity of regulatory immune cells that help control inflammation.

Together, these findings suggest vitamin D may help promote a more balanced, protective immune response to the gut microbiome.

Vitamin D supplementation was also associated with improvements in disease activity scores and a stool-based marker of inflammation. However, the researchers emphasize the study was small and not designed to establish cause and effect.

"We saw encouraging signals, but this was not a randomized trial," Dr. Gubatan says. "These findings need to be confirmed in larger, controlled studies."

The researchers caution that patients should not change their vitamin D use without medical guidance.

“Vitamin D is widely available, but dosing needs to be individualized, especially in patients with chronic inflammation,” Dr. Gubatan adds. “Patients should work with their healthcare team.”

This work was supported by a grant from Doris Duke Physician Scientist Fellowship Award (Grant #2021091), Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Physician Scientist Scholar Award, and National Institutes of Health (NIH) NIDDK LRP Award (2L30 DK126220). For a complete list of authors, disclosures and funding, see the study.

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About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.

Media contact:

• Sharon Theimer, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post Vitamin D linked to immune response to gut microbiome in inflammatory bowel disease appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Watch: The Mayo Clinic Minute

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video (1:09) is in the downloads at the end of this post. Please courtesy: "Mayo Clinic News Network." Read the script.

Polyps in the colon can vary in size and shape. Some are more mushroom-shaped, but that's not always the case. 

"Some polyps spread out more like a bed of moss; they're flat," says Dr. Wallace.

Advances in imaging and tools help care teams detect and treat difficult polyps. 

"Technology has been clearly shown to improve our ability to find more polyps and reduce the miss rate for some of these flat, subtle polyps," says Dr. Wallace. 

Early detection leads to better outcomes. 

"Stage 1 cancer, so-called T1 cancer, we can actually remove that through an endoscope or through a colonoscope, specifically, in a curative way," says Dr. Wallace. "This is something that has had profound implications for patient care." 

Dr. Wallace adds that the most important step is to get screened. 

"Whatever test you choose, get screened," Dr. Wallace says. "This is a preventable cancer. It's one of the very few cancers that we can almost completely prevent. So getting screened starting at the age of 45 — one caveat is — if you have a family history of colon cancer, you need to start even earlier."

Related posts:

• Mayo Clinic Q&A: Treating colorectal cancer with surgery
• (VIDEO) Transforming colon cancer care through precision medicine
• (VIDEO) Treatment options for advanced colorectal cancer

The post Mayo Clinic Minute: AI advances help care teams find hard-to-see colon polyps appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Fiber has been getting a lot of attention in the news lately. What exactly is dietary fiber, and why is it important to my overall health?

ANSWER: Dietary fiber refers to the parts of plant-based foods that your body can’t digest or break down. Unlike proteins, fats or simple carbohydrates, fiber passes through the digestive system largely intact. Because your body can't digest it, fiber becomes an important fuel source for the trillions of microbes that live in your gut.

As food moves through the digestive tract, nutrients your body can absorb are taken up earlier in the process. What remains — much of which is fiber — travels to the colon, where gut bacteria use it for energy. 

Dietary fiber is often associated with digestion, but its role in the body goes far beyond keeping you regular. Fiber plays an important part in gut, heart, immune and metabolic health. Research shows that adequate fiber intake helps:

• Lower cholesterol levels and reduce blood pressure.
• Improve blood sugar control, aiding in the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes.
• Decrease the risk of colorectal cancer, stroke and chronic inflammation.
• Manage a healthy weight.
• Regulate immune responses.
• Maintain a healthy and diverse gut microbiome, which supports many aspects of overall health.

Fiber is often described as soluble or insoluble, based on whether it dissolves in water or not. However, this distinction is less important for overall health than how fiber functions in the body. A more meaningful way to think about fiber is whether it’s fermentable or nonfermentable. Here’s what this means:

• Fermentable fiber can be broken down by gut microbes and used as fuel. This process produces beneficial compounds, such as short-chain fatty acids.
• Nonfermentable fiber isn’t readily used by microbes and mainly adds bulk to your stool, which helps support regular bowel movements.

While you may hear about the benefits of taking supplements to add fiber to your diet, but fiber is best obtained from food rather than supplements. That’s because many whole foods contain a mix of different fibers, which is especially beneficial for gut health. Fiber-rich foods include:

• Fruits, such as berries, pears and apples.
• Vegetables, like broccoli, Brussels sprouts and leafy greens.
• Legumes, including lentils, chickpeas and beans.
• Nuts and seeds, such as almonds, chia seeds and flax seeds.
• Whole grains, including whole-wheat bread, oats and wheat bran.

It's important to eat a variety of these foods. The more different types of fiber-rich foods you eat, the more different types of fiber you'll get, which is optimal for your health. Making small, sustainable changes, such as choosing whole-grain bread instead of white bread or swapping chips for nuts or fruit, can add up over time.

Most adults who are in good health should aim for 30 to 40 grams of fiber per day. However, your fiber needs can vary by age and general health. For example, older adults may need to balance fiber intake with adequate calories and protein. 

As you increase your fiber intake, you may experience some abdominal discomfort, bloating and gas. To prevent or lessen these symptoms, gradually add more fiber to your diet rather than increasing your intake all at once. A helpful approach is to:

• Increase fiber intake by about 3 grams per week. This can be as easy as adding just 1/2 cup peas, squash or cauliflower; 1 cup carrots; 1 medium sweet potato; 1 cup brown rice; 3 tablespoons of shredded coconut; or 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds.
• Maintain that level for seven to 10 days before increasing again.
• Drink plenty of water, aiming for 80 ounces a day.

Slowly increasing your fiber intake allows your digestive system and gut microbes time to adapt, and any symptoms will improve after a short while.

Fiber is an essential part of a healthy diet. By eating a variety of plant-based foods, increasing fiber intake gradually and staying well hydrated, you can support gut health and overall well-being while making fiber goals more achievable and sustainable.

Purna Kashyap, M.B.B.S., Gastroenterology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota

The post Mayo Clinic Q&A: Why is fiber good for your overall health? appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Precision medicine is rapidly transforming modern healthcare. It's a personalized approach that tailors prevention and treatment to each individual — moving beyond the traditional one-size-fits-all model.

Colorectal cancer is one area where precision medicine is reshaping the standard of care for patients like Eric Minnesota. 

At 56, Eric was training for an Ironman triathlon when he got a devastating diagnosis — stage 3 colorectal cancer. 

Eric is sharing his inspiring story to raise awareness for National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.

Watch: Transforming colon cancer care through precision medicine

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video (3:10) is in the downloads at the end of this post. Please courtesy: "Mayo Clinic" – Read the script.

Man on a mission

Eric has been an athlete his whole life. He's a soft-spoken man with a gentle demeanor and a never-give-up attitude that defines everything he does. "I've competitively raced mountain bikes for the last 20 years," says Eric. "I'm an outdoors person...hiking, fishing, camping, anything outdoors is what I really enjoy."

Eric's dream has long been to compete in an Ironman triathlon, one of the toughest endurance events in the world. Competitors must complete a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile run. That's 140.6 miles in one day.

"From a health point of view, I thought I was nearly at the top of my game based on my age," says the Arizona man. "I've been healthy my whole life — no surgeries, no broken bones...I've never taken a sick day from work in my 25-year career."

Toughest challenge yet

Eric was in the midst of training for Ironman Arizona. All was going as planned. Then one day, Eric began having stomach pain. He went to his doctor who delivered a diagnosis Eric never expected.

"He discovered a significant mass. He relayed to me that I should see a colorectal surgeon as soon as possible to have it evaluated and find out what the next steps should be," recalls Eric. Soon after, Eric got his official diagnosis — stage 3 colorectal cancer.

"The plan was to remove my colon and replace it with an ostomy," says Eric. An ostomy is a surgically created opening in the abdomen that allows waste to exit the body into a bag. It may be needed after colon surgery so the body can eliminate waste.

In preparation for surgery, Eric and his wife, Paula, turned to Mayo Clinic in Arizona. "The doctor at Mayo said a team of specialists would convene as a group to review my case. Mayo was quicker than I ever imagined. The following week they called me to discuss my treatment plan," says Eric.

Hope through innovation

Mayo Clinic's treatment plan included more than surgery as an option. The team explained that by using precision medicine, they were able to determine Eric was a candidate for a nonsurgical approach to treatment called immunotherapy.

"By performing genomic sequencing on the patient's blood and the tumor, we were able to identify a precision treatment approach, including immune therapies, that can sometimes allow a patient to avoid the need for complex and life-altering surgeries," says Dr. Jewel Samadder, a gastroenterologist and cancer geneticist with Mayo Clinic's Early Onset and Hereditary Gastrointestinal Cancers Program.

Immunotherapy works by using the body's own immune system to fight the cancer. The nonsurgical treatment is delivered in a series of treatments by IV infusion. "The treatment is surprisingly easy. To be truthful I feel guilty based on the type of treatment that I had for my cancer versus what other individuals go through. It's just a simple infusion that takes less than an hour start to finish," explains Eric.

Crossing the finish line

Eric crossed the finish line of his immunotherapy treatment in six months. The results were a success. A colonoscopy following treatment showed the cancer was gone. "I won the lottery," says Eric. "The stars aligned with my markers and the care team had the expertise. It was incredible. It was all a perfect fit."

"This is a perfect example of why patients come to Mayo Clinic and see multiple physicians in our multidisciplinary cancer clinics and our early-onset program so that we can understand the cause of their cancer, determine the best treatment approaches, including clinical trials, and sometimes avoid complicated life-altering surgeries when possible, as in this patient's case," says Dr. Samadder.

"As soon as we heard about immunotherapy, we had to try it. This aligned with his goals. I'm just over the moon," says Paula.

Eric was able to keep working and training throughout his treatment. He says his only side effect was mild fatigue. "We spent a lot of time together as a family. Just being able to maintain that quality of life through the treatment was irreplaceable. You just can't put a price on that," says Eric.

"We are so grateful to everyone at Mayo Clinic, especially our oncologist Dr. Christina Wu," says Paula. "I would be lost without her. Thanks to Dr. Wu, I have my husband here with me today."

Celebrating life and love

Eric is back to working on his dream of one day becoming an Ironman triathlete. "Giving up is never an option," says Eric. "You have to turn on the switch, and keep going."

As Eric and Paula celebrate life, they are also celebrating their love. "We just had our 32nd wedding anniversary. These moments, these struggles together, it all has just made us stronger." says Eric. "I'm grateful for Mayo, for everything. I came out a better person."

Related stories:

• Eric and Paula Minnesota with a special message to Mayo Clinic
• Mayo Clinic Minute: Inside a colonoscopy
• Mayo Clinic Minute: Warning signs of colorectal cancer in younger adults

The post Transforming colon cancer care through precision medicine (VIDEO) appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I’m confused about prebiotics and probiotics. Could you help me understand what they are and how they could benefit my health?

ANSWER: You're not alone in wondering about the health benefits of prebiotics and probiotics. Even the names can be confusing.

The human gastrointestinal tract houses roughly 100 trillion microorganisms (good bacteria). These microorganisms make up what's called the gut microbiome.

These good bacteria fight off bad bacteria to help keep our intestinal tract healthy. 

Probiotics: Promoting digestion, benefiting health

Let's start with probiotics. Probiotics are living organisms, also known as microbes. They're primarily bacteria and yeast whose main role is to aid digestion and improve overall health. Probiotics help strengthen the gut barrier, aid in the absorption of nutrients, and replace less beneficial or harmful microbes. 

Research shows that probiotics can treat and even prevent conditions such as gastrointestinal (GI) tract infections, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), lactose intolerance, allergies, cystic fibrosis, urogenital infections, diarrhea, high cholesterol, eczema and certain cancers. 

Probiotics also may support dental health by treating and preventing tooth decay, periodontal disease and bad breath. 

In addition to aiding digestion, another essential role of probiotics is promoting a healthy immune system and preventing chronic diseases. 

Some examples of probiotics include fermented foods, such as certain yogurts, many cheeses, pickled vegetables, apple cider vinegar, fermented teas and sauerkraut. Probiotic supplements also are available in pill or powder form. 

Prebiotics: Feeding probiotics

Prebiotics are the food for probiotics. They help feed the probiotics through fermentation and metabolization, which are beneficial to the gut. These microorganisms contribute to a variety of processes, including cell energy, immune function, hormone regulation, anti-inflammatory responses and bowel management. 

Research indicates that high prebiotic consumption may enhance our immune system, help regulate blood sugar levels, reduce the risk of colorectal cancer and increase calcium absorption. When good bacteria (probiotics) are fed an abundance of healthful food (prebiotics), our bodies will be healthier.

Prebiotics are found in foods that contain:

• Dietary fibers, which the body doesn't fully digest.
• Resistant starches, which are a form of carbohydrate that isn't digested in the small intestine. Instead, it ferments in the large intestine. 

The most common prebiotics are inulin, oligosaccharides and pectin, which are found in fibrous foods. Foods containing prebiotics include most fruits and vegetables — especially green bananas, asparagus and onions — as well as garlic, nuts, seeds, oats, barley, potatoes, and legumes such as soybeans, dried beans, peas and lentils.

Adding probiotics and prebiotics to your diet

Food composition changes with cooking, so to get the most benefit from prebiotics and probiotics, it's important to pay attention to cooking methods. For example, boiling potatoes is better than baking them. When potatoes are boiled and then chilled, they develop a white starchy film, which is the most beneficial part. Serving beans and legumes hot increases their starch content, which is good for your gut.

Eating most fruits and vegetables while they are fresh and raw will provide healthful prebiotics. 

Researchers suggest gradually introducing these foods into your diet. Adding a lot of new foods containing prebiotics and probiotics may produce gas, cause bloating and lead to gut discomfort.

Anne Harguth, Nutrition, Mayo Clinic Health System, Waseca, Minnesota

The post Mayo Clinic Q&A: What are prebiotics and probiotics? appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — As rates of obesity, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea increase, cases of advanced chronic liver disease and resulting liver scarring or cirrhosis also are rising. Patients often are diagnosed based on symptoms, such as gastrointestinal bleeding, fluid retention or jaundice, which happen when liver disease has progressed to a late stage. This problem led Mayo Clinic researchers to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) model that resulted in twice the number of advanced chronic liver disease diagnoses in patients without symptoms, helping physicians treat them before the disease had progressed.

"Chronic liver disease is a progressive condition, so the sooner we can diagnose it, the sooner we can stop it from advancing to irreversible stages. Early intervention may decrease the likelihood that a patient will need a liver transplant in the future," says Doug Simonetto, M.D., a Mayo Clinic transplant hepatologist and lead author of the study published in Nature Medicine.

The heart and liver are closely linked. Liver scarring may lead to increased local pressure that can affect the heart. As a result, a heartbeat test called an electrocardiogram (ECG) can capture electrical signal changes in the heart connected to advanced liver disease. Dr. Simonetto and colleagues developed an AI model to analyze data from 11,513 Mayo Clinic patients undergoing routine ECGs. The model looked for patterns connected to advanced liver disease in the ECG data, and it found twice the number of patients who were diagnosed by standard methods. The diagnosis was confirmed by validated imaging or blood tests.

"As a family physician, I've often seen how advanced liver disease — which frequently has no symptoms until it becomes irreversible — can go undetected," says David Rushlow, M.D., Mayo Clinic Health System family physician and study co-author. "Many patients identified through the AI-ECG model had no idea they were living with advanced liver disease. By identifying these cases earlier, we were able to connect them to the right treatment — at a time when intervention can truly make a difference. For these patients, the technology helped us not only to uncover a diagnosis, it created an opportunity for better health outcomes and, in some cases, may have saved lives."

In this randomized clinical trial, 248 clinicians at Mayo Clinic in Rochester and throughout the Mayo Clinic Health System participated.

"The idea that a simple, noninvasive and inexpensive test could help identify patients at risk of developing advanced liver disease was very compelling. This study provided an opportunity to evaluate AI in our real-world clinical environment, where the true test of innovation is whether it improves care for patients in the community," says Dr. Rushlow. "We're only beginning to understand the full potential of AI-enabled tools like this and the promise they hold for preventive, personalized care."

In the next steps, the researchers will follow up with the patients, who were newly diagnosed with advanced liver disease, over the next two years.

The research is part of a larger effort at Mayo Clinic called the Precure initiative focused on developing tools that empower clinicians to predict and intercept biological processes before they evolve into disease or progress into complex, hard-to-treat conditions.

Review the study for a complete list of authors, disclosures and funding.  

### 

About Mayo Clinic 
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news. 

Media contact:

• Kelley Luckstein, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post Mayo Clinic researchers develop AI-ECG model to diagnose liver disease earlier appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

These discoveries reflect progress across three major innovation efforts at Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic clinicians and scientists are working together to develop tools to predict and intercept biological processes before they evolve into disease or progress into complex, hard-to-treat conditions through the Precure initiative. They are advancing new cures for end-organ failure beyond traditional transplantation as part of the Genesis initiative. They are also uniting clinical insight with cutting-edge engineering to deliver novel neurological diagnostics and therapies through the Bioelectronics Neuromodulation Innovation to Cure (BIONIC) initiative. 
 

1. 'Virtual clinical trials' may predict success of heart failure drugs 

Mayo Clinic researchers have created "virtual clinical trials" that advance the discovery of therapies while reducing time, cost and the risk of failed studies by combining advanced computer modeling with real-world patient data as part of the Precure and Genesis initiatives. Through one virtual clinical trial, they have developed a new way to predict whether existing drugs could be repurposed to treat heart failure, one of the world's most pressing health challenges. 

"Clinical trials will always remain essential," says Cui Tao, Ph.D., the Nancy Peretsman and Robert Scully Chair of Artificial Intelligence and Informatics and vice president of Mayo Clinic Platform Informatics. "But this innovation demonstrates how AI can make research more efficient, affordable and broadly accessible. Integrating trial emulation, simulation, synthetic trials and biomedical knowledge modeling opens the door to a new paradigm in translational science." 

2. New discovery may unlock regenerative therapies for lung disease

Mayo Clinic researchers have uncovered the molecular "switch" that directs a small but powerful set of cells that choose whether to repair tissue or fight infection, a discovery that could inform regenerative therapies for chronic lung diseases, which is part of Mayo Clinic's Genesis initiative.
 
"We were surprised to find that these specialized cells cannot do both jobs at once," says Douglas Brownfield, Ph.D., senior author of the study. "Some commit to rebuilding, while others focus on defense. That division of labor is essential — and by uncovering the switch that controls it, we can start thinking about how to restore balance when it breaks down in disease." 

3. Stem cells may offer new hope for end-stage kidney disease treatment

Mayo Clinic researchers found that injecting patients' own stem cells from fat cells into the vein before hemodialysis, a treatment for end-stage kidney disease, often helped prevent inflammation and vein narrowing. This could help millions of people tolerate dialysis longer, extending the time before they require a kidney transplant as part of the Mayo Clinic Genesis initiative. 

"This approach has the potential to improve outcomes for millions of patients with kidney failure, reduce healthcare costs and inform new clinical guidelines for dialysis access management if validated in larger clinical trials," says Sanjay Misra, M.D., a Mayo Clinic interventional radiologist. 

4. Mayo Clinic physicians map patients' brain waves to personalize epilepsy treatment

Using detailed maps of each patient's unique brain wave patterns, Mayo Clinic physicians can now pinpoint where stimulation is most effective, moving beyond the traditional one-size-fits-all approach to epilepsy treatment. This research is part of the BIONIC initiative.

"The long-term goal is to quiet the seizure network, so it is eventually forgotten. Reorganizing the neuronal network could move us beyond controlling seizures to actually curing epilepsy," says Nick Gregg, M.D., a Mayo Clinic neurologist. 

5. New genetic biomarker flags aggressive brain tumors

Mayo Clinic researchers found when meningiomas — the most common type of brain tumor — show activity in a gene called telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), it tends to recur more quickly, even if it looks low grade under the microscope. This is part of the Mayo Clinic Precure initiative. 

"High TERT expression is strongly linked to faster disease progression," says Gelareh Zadeh, M.D., Ph.D., a neurosurgeon at Mayo Clinic and senior author of the study. "This makes it a promising new biomarker for identifying patients who may be at greater risk of developing aggressive disease."

6. Mayo Clinic researchers discover the immune system's 'fountain of youth'

Mayo Clinic researchers have found that some older people maintain "immune youth" – a new term coined by Mayo researchers to explain a young immune system in someone over age 60.  
 
"We observed that these patients have very young immune systems despite being in their 60s and 70s. But the price they pay for that is autoimmunity," says Cornelia Weyand, M.D., Ph.D., a Mayo Clinic rheumatologist and clinician-scientist. This is part of the Mayo Clinic Precure initiative.

7. Mayo Clinic tools predict, identify and diagnose Alzheimer's, dementia quicker

Mayo Clinic researchers have developed new tools to estimate a person's risk of developing Alzheimer's disease years before symptoms appear as part of the Precure initiative and to help clinicians identify brain activity patterns linked to nine types of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, using one scan. They also confirmed the accuracy of an FDA-approved blood test that can be used at outpatient memory clinics to diagnose the disease in patients with a range of cognitive impairment. 

"Every patient who walks into my clinic carries a unique story shaped by the brain's complexity," says David T. Jones, M.D., a Mayo Clinic neurologist. "That complexity drew me to neurology and continues to drive my commitment to clearer answers."

8. Mayo Clinic research improves dense breast cancer screening and early detection

Nearly half of all women in the U.S. have dense breast tissue, which can make detecting breast cancer difficult with a mammogram. Mayo Clinic researchers found that adding another test, called molecular breast imaging, or MBI, to a 3D mammogram, improved the ability to find cancer in dense tissue by more than double. 
 
"Our research focuses on detecting the most lethal cancers, which can include invasive tumors that grow quickly. If these are detected earlier, we likely can save more lives," says Carrie Hruska, Ph.D., a Mayo Clinic professor of medical physics and lead author of the study. 

9. Mayo Clinic researchers find 'sugar coating' cells can protect those typically destroyed in type 1 diabetes

After identifying a sugar molecule that cancer cells use on their surfaces to hide from the immune system, Mayo Clinic researchers have found the same molecule may eventually help in the treatment of type 1 diabetes, once known as juvenile diabetes. 

"A goal would be to provide transplantable cells without the need for immunosuppression," says Virginia Shapiro, Ph.D., a Mayo Clinic immunology researcher. "Though we're still in the early stages, this study may be one step toward improving care."

10. New study calculates autoimmune disease prevalence

Mayo Clinic researchers and collaborators have described — for the first time — the prevalence of autoimmune diseases in the U.S. Their research reports that about 15 million people are estimated to have one or more of 105 autoimmune diseases. The study also found that autoimmune diseases occur most often in women, and it identified the top autoimmune diseases by prevalence, sex and age. 
 
"Knowing the number of patients with an autoimmune disease in the U.S. is critical to assess whether these diseases are increasing or decreasing over time and with treatment," says DeLisa Fairweather, Ph.D., vice-chair of translational research for the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Florida and corresponding author of the study.

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About Mayo Clinic 
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news. 

Media contact: 

• Julie Ferris-Tillman, Ph.D., Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post A Year of Discovery: 10 Mayo Clinic research breakthroughs moving medicine forward  appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic researchers have uncovered how aging "zombie cells" trigger harmful inflammation that accelerates a severe and increasingly common form of fatty liver disease called metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). As obesity rates rise worldwide, MASH is projected to increase and is already one of the leading causes of liver transplantation. 

"Liver scarring and inflammation are hallmarks of MASH. If left untreated, it can progress to liver cancer. This is why it's so important to understand the mechanisms driving the disease so that we can prevent it or develop more effective treatments," says Stella Victorelli, Ph.D., who is the lead author of the study published in Nature Communications.  

Dr. Victorelli and colleagues, who study aged or senescent "zombie" cells, identified a mechanism by which these cells drive liver scarring and inflammation. They found that small molecules called mitochondrial RNA, typically found within the cell's energy-producing mitochondria, can leak into the main part of the cell, where they mistakenly activate antiviral sensors called RIG-I and MDA5 — normally triggered when a virus infects a cell. In this case, the danger signal comes from the cell's own mitochondria, prompting a wave of inflammation that can damage nearby healthy tissue. 

When the researchers blocked the sensors, inflammation dropped sharply. The study also found that proteins BAX and BAK, which help open pores in the mitochondrial membrane, enable mitochondrial RNA to escape. In a preclinical MASH model, inhibiting BAX and BAK prevented RNA from escaping and was associated with less inflammation and healthier liver tissue. 

What are 'zombie' cells?

As we age, some cells enter senescence — a state in which they stop dividing but continue releasing inflammatory and tissue‑damaging molecules. When people are young, the immune system typically eliminates these senescent, or "zombie," cells. With age, however, they can persist and contribute to a range of age‑related health problems and diseases. 

While some research focuses on removing these cells, this team investigated how to quiet their harmful signals.  

"With age, we accumulate 'zombie' cells, which can lead to more disease," says João Passos, Ph.D., senior author of the study. "Our idea is that if we can quiet these cells earlier, we can prevent runaway inflammation and the development of many age‑related conditions, including liver disease. Understanding the mechanisms that drive disease allows us to target and delay those processes — potentially benefiting more than one condition." 

Dr. Passos and colleagues also are developing new technology to spatially map senescent cells throughout the body during aging. 

This research was conducted in partnership between the Robert and Arlene Kogod Center on Aging and the Center for Cell Signaling in Gastroenterology (C-SiG) at Mayo Clinic. 

The research is part of a larger effort at Mayo Clinic called the Precure initiative, which is focused on developing tools that empower clinicians to predict and intercept biological processes before they evolve into disease or progress into complex, hard-to-treat conditions. 

Review the study for a complete list of authors, disclosures and funding.   

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About Mayo Clinic  
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.  

Media contact: 

• Kelley Luckstein, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

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ROCHESTER, Minn. — Resolutions to improve health typically include measures such as more exercise, a healthier diet and stopping smoking. But what about your gut microbiome? Taking steps to protect and improve it can benefit digestive health and more, says Purna Kashyap, M.B.B.S., a gastroenterologist at Mayo Clinic who specializes in the gut microbiome and gastrointestinal disorders.

"The microbiome is essentially a community of bacteria, fungi, viruses and all of their genes," Dr. Kashyap explains. "The skin, lungs and reproductive system each have their own microbiomes. The gut microbiome is probably the most diverse in our body. Its microbes perform several functions. The body's other microbiomes tend to be more specialized."

Your gut microbiome is as unique as your fingerprint. These bacteria perform important jobs, including breaking down fiber and starches; synthesizing vitamins and amino acids, such as vitamins B and K; and producing short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) that help prevent disease. They also maintain the intestinal barrier, a protective gut lining.

"For example, when you eat an apple, your stomach and small intestine break down some of it. The rest of the apple goes to your colon, where bacteria do the rest of the work for you," says Dr. Kashyap, the Bernard and Edith Waterman Director of the Microbiomics Program at the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine.

"As the bacteria break down the apple's fiber, they produce substances that are good for the cells of the colon and the body."

If you lose these healthy bacteria, it creates an opportunity for some of the bacteria that cause disease to thrive. One example is Clostridioides difficile, or C. diff, a bacterium that can infect the colon, the longest part of the large intestine. Symptoms can range from diarrhea to life-threatening damage to the colon. Risk factors for C. diff infection include antibiotic use, hospitalization and certain medications that affect the immune system.

"If you take antibiotics, your microbiome might change for a short time, but it usually goes back to its original state," Dr. Kashyap says. "The same thing can happen with other changes or behaviors, such as traveling or eating a lot of fast food. Think of your microbiome like a rubber band. You can stretch it a bit, and it bounces back. But if you stretch it too much, it might get disrupted."

In addition to gut infections like C. diff, microbial imbalances are thought to play a role in other diseases and symptoms, including colon cancer; diabetes; depression and other mood disorders; Alzheimer's disease; Parkinson's disease; and cardiovascular disease. More research is needed to understand ties between the gut microbiome and these diseases, Dr. Kashyap says.

How far you can stretch your microbiome depends on several factors. Those include how long the disruption lasts. This is one reason it's important to avoid overusing antibiotics, Dr. Kashyap says.

Some underlying diseases, such as inflammatory intestinal diseases can affect which communities of bacteria can thrive in your gut and which can't. These include inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

Dr. Kashyap is studying the interactions between gut bacteria and dietary carbohydrates and how they influence the gastrointestinal system. His long-term goal is to develop new biomarkers and microbiota-targeted therapies for treatment of functional gastrointestinal disorders, including irritable bowel syndrome and chronic bloating, also known as functional bloating.

Lifestyle can also play an important role in the health of your gut microbiome, Dr. Kashyap adds: "Gut bacteria eat what you eat. If you eat a lot of sugary, salty, fatty foods such as snacks, sweets and highly processed foods or consume a lot of alcohol, you'll starve bacteria. As a result, they will try to get nutrients from your gut lining and will damage it in the process."

On the other hand, if your diet is loaded with a diverse array of fruits, vegetables and fiber, you'll nourish a diverse microbial community in your gut.

"The more diverse your gut microbes, the farther you can stretch things before you experience disruption," Dr. Kashyap says. "Happy bugs, happy life."

Other lifestyle habits will help to protect gut health:

• Drink plenty of healthy fluids such as water and limit or avoid alcohol.
• Exercise for at least 30 minutes most days.
• Don't smoke.
• Manage stress.

For more information about the microbiome and microbiome research at Mayo Clinic, visit Mayo Clinic Press and the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine.

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About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.

Media contact:

• Sharon Theimer, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu
  

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