Wolfe Lab

New paper! This study uses transperineal biopsy to characterize the prostate microbiome, avoiding fecal contamination. There appear to be unique bacterial genera in cancerous tissue. This provides a framework for future large‐scale studies of the microbiome of prostate cancer.

This study is a collaboration of many Loyola groups, it links diet, metabolic disorders, and inflammation in dementia. Ketogenic and high glycemic diets caused sex-specific brain inflammasome activation and anxiety-like behavior in mice, with distinct microbiome changes.

Does urogyn surgery alter the urogenital microbiota? Immediately after surgery, microbiota changed significantly for both pre- and post-menopausal females, but premenopausal microbiota returned to pre-surgical composition whereas postmenopausal microbiota found a new normal.

Urinary microbiome bacterial isolates are difficult to grow in vitro. This @JournalSpectrum study proposes a microbroth dilution method for antibiotic susceptibility testing of fastidious & anaerobic bacteria of the urinary microbiome. Learn more: asm.social/1RJ

New study published! We find high macrolide antibiotic resistance in urinary Aerococcus urinae complex, linked to horizontal gene transfer. Implications in urinary microbiome antibiotic resistance surveillance and strategies.

Urine is not sterile. We will not stop till everyone knows! Dr. Alan Wolfe and Dr. Linda Brubaker recently wrote an article in the American Scientist, Volume 112 available at Barnes and Noble and others. They discuss the microbiology breakthroughs that are revolutionary.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Brian Choi for successfully defending his PhD!! Brian has been with the Wolfe lab for 6 years in the MD/PhD program. He has put in endless hard work and dedication. Good luck to Brian as he continues his MD!

New paper alert! We report a bladder-specific bac. isolate ref. collection of 1134 bac. isolated mainly from adult F. Comparative genomic analysis reveals similarities btwn bladder & vaginal microbiota but differing from gut microbiota. This collection aids microbiota research.

Recurrent UTIs often involve diverse microbial communities undetected by std tests. Emerging evidence suggests these microbes may act as opportunistic pathogens beyond UTIs. We highlight poorly understood uropathogens, urging research into their commensal-to-pathogen transition

@ChronicUTIAus Great question! With new tools in genomics and metaculturomics under our belt, we have been able to isolate and detect so many more organisms that went previously undetected, including Aerococcus. We recently published a review on some of these here: frontiersin.org/articles/10.33…

@Urobiome Can you share what the significance of this might be? The late Dr Paul Schreckenberger talked about the under reporting of 'A list' urinary bacteria in this 2014 ASM talk. It's around the 21:40 mark but the whole thing is worth watching youtube.com/watch?v=Vlt37G…

One of our MD/PhD students Brian I. Choi details the discovery of 3 new urinary bacteria; Aerococcus tenax, Aerococcus mictus, and Aerococcus loyolae. The latter named after Loyola University Chicago! microbiologyresearch.org/content/journa…

Listen to our own Alan Wolfe as he answers a live Q&A about The Bladder Biome Project 2023 #1000bladders #bladderbiomeproject2023 youtube.com/watch?v=ZR0lla…

New podcast by @bhealth_ with Alan Wolfe, about the importance of our Bladder Biome Project, and how you can join the study! nafc.org/bhealth-blog/0… #1000bladders #womendeservebetterresearch

Another urinary stone paper. Meta-analysis of Clinical Microbiome Studies in Urolithiasis Reveal Age, Stone Composition, and Study Location as the Predominant Factors in Urolithiasis-Associated Microbiome Composition. doi: 10.1128/mBio.02007-21

A mouse model to study the pathophysiology of Aerococcus urinae urinary tract infection. We observed host and bacterial strain differences. doi: 10.1242/bio.058931

A new consensus document, developed by expert investigators currently engaged in urobiome research (UROBIOME 2020 conference participants), aims to promote standardization & advances in this field by the adoption of common core research practices. DOI: 10.1128/mSystems.01371-20

We recently reported that some urinary isolates of L. crispatus exhibit bactericidal activity against a wide range of pathogens, primarily due to its ability to excrete phenyl-lactic acid into its environment. DOI: 10.1128/JB.00360-21.

Suggests that plasmids are key factor to pathology and epidemiology of S. aureus in Egypt. A better characterization of plasmids and their role in the success of Staphylococci as pathogens will guide design of control strategies to limit spread. DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.659116

Prophages are likely to be a major contributor to the virulence of S. aureus strains in circulation in Egypt. DOI: 10.3390/v13020337

The next two posts address a related study.