Research: Fungus linked to dandruff may worsen intestinal disease
By: Team Ifairer | Posted: 09-03-2019
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"Further, the presence of Malassezia was linked to a common variation in a gene known to be important for immunity to fungi - a genetic signature more common in patients with Crohn's disease than the healthy population," Underhill said. IBD is characterised by changes in immune responses to the intestinal microbiome.
While most studies on the microbiome focus on bacteria, Underhill's team investigates the fungi's presence and its potential role in intestinal disease. Changes in intestinal fungi such as M. restricta - and host responses to these fungi - may be a factor in exacerbating symptoms that contribute to disease in a subset of patients with Crohn's disease, said co-author Jose Limon, a Cedars-Sinai research team member.
source: www.apnlive.com