Periodontitis is the second most common disease of the oral cavity worldwide. In the United States it affects 30-50% of the population, while in Germany about 12 million people suffer from periodontitis. Apart from the obvious problems arising from the loss of connective tissue attachment and alveolar bone structure, periodontal inflammation can lead to a general infection of the body. Fraunhofer Institute of Cell Therapy and Immunology has designed artificial discs detecting 11 main bacteria that can lead to periodontal disease. Read full text »

Written by:
JORGE A. GUZMAN, MD
Director, Medical Intensive Care Unit
Cleveland Clinic Foundation


Jorge A. Guzman, MD, has indicated to Physician’s Weekly that he has received grants/research aid from bioMerieux, speakers fees for bioMeriuex, and consulting fees for Pfizer.

Written for Physician’s Weekly.

Sepsis is a potentially fatal condition that strikes an estimated 750,000 people each year in the United States. Defined as the body’s reaction to infection (whether bacterial, viral, fungal, or parasitic), sepsis is the most common underlying cause of mortality in non-coronary ICUs. It can rapidly lead to systemic inflammatory reactions and, eventually, organ dysfunction or failure. People who are at greatest risk of developing sepsis include patients who are very young or very old, those with compromised immune systems, those who are hospitalized and are very sick, and individuals with invasive devices (eg, urinary catheters or breathing tubes).
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In May 2011, researchers from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Meyerhofstrasse published a research in which they proposed division of intestinal flora into three enterotypes. Shortly after that, already in August 2011, a team of researchers from the University of Pennsylvania classified existing enterotypes to specified diet in which they occur. The discovery was added to the list of the Top Scientific Discoveries of 2011 by The Science Magazine. Read full text »

Clostridium difficile is a widespread bacterium and it affects thousands of patients, posing a danger to their health and life. The costs associated with treatment are estimated at 10 to 20 billion dollars only in North America. Scientists from the University of Calgary at the National Research Council in Canada carried out a research on Clostridum difficile and expect success thanks to the use of antibodies from a llama. Read full text »