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Background Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are crucial in cancer treatment; however, they carry the risk of immune-related adverse events (irAEs), such as enteritis. Case presentation: This study investigated the role of the gut microbiota during the onset and remission of irAE enteritis in a patient with stage IV melanoma undergoing anti-PD-1 and anti-CTLA-4 therapy. Following commencement of ICI treatment, the patient developed severe diarrhea and was diagnosed with grade 3 irAE enteritis. Steroid and probiotic treatments provided swift symptom relief and remission, as confirmed by reduced fecal calprotectin levels and gastrointestinal imaging. Microbiota diversity analysis conducted via 16S rRNA gene sequencing identified a decrease in Streptococcus prevalence with improvement in enteritis symptoms. Conversely, genera Fusobacterium, Faecalibacterium, Bacteroides, Prevotella, and Bifidobacterium showed increased representation after remission. These genera are associated with anti-inflammatory properties and fibrous substrate degradation, aiding gut health. Immunological assessment demonstrated fluctuations in cytokine expression and the modulation of costimulatory molecules, aligning with therapeutic interventions and microbiota alterations. Conclusions Our findings indicate a significant correlation between gut microbiota and immune responses in irAE enteritis. This underscores the potential utility of microbiome profiling in predicting irAE occurrence and in providing treatment strategies, thereby promoting a more comprehensive approach to managing the adverse effects of ICIs. Keywords: Immune-related adverse events, Enteritis, Microbiota, Immune checkpoint inhibitors, Author(s): Yuki Hirata[sup.1], Yoshiki Tanaka[sup.2], Haruka Yokota[sup.2], Hiroshi Ohno[sup.2], Koji Nishida[sup.1], Hikaru Shimizu[sup.1], Noboru Mizuta[sup.1], Kei Nakazawa[sup.1], Ryoji Koshiba[sup.1], Kazuki Kakimoto[sup.1], Takako Miyazaki[sup.1], Shiro Nakamura[sup.1] and Hiroki Nishikawa[sup.1] Background As [...]

The article titled "Innentitelbild: Stereochemistry-Dependent Labeling of Organelles with a Near-Infrared-Emissive Phosphorus-Bridged Rhodamine Dye in Live-Cell Imaging" presents a new photostable near-infrared (NIR) labeling agent developed by Masayasu Taki, Yasushi Okada, Florence Tama, Shigehiro Yamaguchi, and their colleagues. The compounds, which are stereoisomers based on phosphorus-bridged rhodamine, have different staining abilities in live cells. The trans-isomer can permeate organelle membranes and label target proteins, while the cis-isomer accumulates nonspecifically on lipid bilayers. The authors of the article are Qian Wu, Masayasu Taki, Yoshiki Tanaka, Manish Kesherwani, Quan Manh Phung, Sawako Enoki, Yasushi Okada, Florence Tama, and Shigehiro Yamaguchi. [Extracted from the article]

Constipation is strongly associated with the deterioration of quality of life (QOL), and patients with constipation desire clear spontaneous defecation without the feeling of incomplete evacuation, rather than improved defecation frequency. The use of common osmotic or stimulant laxatives has not been shown to lead to a satisfactory improvement of bowel movements. In addition, softening of stools by increasing their water content has been reported to increase the frequency of spontaneous defecation and improve hard stools, straining during defecation, and abdominal symptoms, such as abdominal bloating, thereby leading to improvement of QOL deterioration caused by constipation. Thus, the present study screened bacterial strains in vitro using intestinal epithelial T84 cells, aiming to identify one that activates chloride channels involved in water secretion into the intestinal tract. As a result, the conditioned medium of Bifidobacterium longum CLA8013 was found to induce ion transport. Also, this effect was suppressed by cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) (inh)-172, a CFTR chloride channel inhibitor. Furthermore, both live and heat-killed CLA8013 similarly induced ion transport, suggesting that bacterial cell components are responsible for the effect. In addition, the administration of heat-killed CLA8013 to loperamide-induced constipation rats resulted in an increase in fecal water content and promoted defecation. These results suggest that the active components in CLA8013 act on CFTR chloride channels in the intestinal tract, promote water secretion into the intestinal tract, and soften stools, thereby promoting bowel movements., Competing Interests: None., (©2024 BMFH Press.)