in the gut

Scientists recently have come to appreciate the importance, for human health and disease, of microbes -- often called "commensals" -- that naturally dwell in the gut.

Dr. Iliev's lab, which participated in that study, found significantly higher levels of fungal DNA in the gut of these mice -- magnitudes greater than previously observed in lab mice.

The finding, published in the journal mBio of the American Society for Microbiology, suggests that in the future, doctors may use a simple test on a patient's stool to check for certain bacteria in the gut that might help predict whether tamoxifen will work for them.

Unlike street robberies, refusals are rarely violent or physical, but the feeling of being slugged in the gut is identical.

This new therapeutic approach targets oxytocin receptors in the gut.