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The guts of all mammals are colonized by nonpathogenic commensal bacteria. We have long known that this “human microbiome” produces various beneficial molecules (JW Gen Med Jul 1 2010). However, evidence is accumulating to show that these nonpathogenic bacteria can influence mammalian diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease (JW Gen Med Jun 19 2008), and even obesity (JW Gen Med Jan 2 2007).
A team in Germany adds to the evidence that commensal gut bacteria influence the development and severity of some autoimmune diseases. The researchers used a strain of transgenic mice that spontaneously develops a multiple-sclerosis–like disease. When these mice were raised in an entirely germ-free environment, none developed the disease. When these …