Gut Bacteria Predict Survival after Stem Cell Transplant, Study Shows

June 19, 2014

(Science Codex) – New research, published online today in Blood, the Journal of the American Society of Hematology, suggests that the diversity of bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract of patients receiving stem cell transplants may be an important predictor of their post-transplant survival. A healthy gastrointestinal tract contains a balanced community of microorganisms (known as microbiota), largely comprised of “friendly” bacteria that aid digestion and are important to immune system function. When this community of microbes is compromised, the microbiota may become less diverse, and the body becomes more susceptible to certain diseases.