Microbes inhabit just about every part of the human body, living on the skin, in the gut, and up the nose. Sometimes they cause sickness, but most of the time, microorganisms live in harmony with their human hosts, providing vital functions essential for human survival. For the first time, a consortium of researchers organized by the National Institutes of Health has mapped the normal microbial makeup of healthy humans, producing numerous insights and even a few surprises.

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  1. MedicarCard.com, NIH, Human Microbiome Project, Researchers Publish First Genomic, Collection of Human Microbes The Human Microbiome Project (HMP) today published an analysis of 178 genomes from microbes that live in or on the human body. The researchers discovered novel genes and proteins that serve functions in human health and disease, adding a new level of understanding to what is known about the complexity and diversity of these organisms....
  2. Wide Variety of Bacteria Mapped Across the Human Body By analyzing bacterial communities in and on several people, scientists have begun to create an atlas of bacterial diversity that documents the different types of microbes that thrive in distinct regions of the human body. This research sets the stage for determining how changes in bacterial communities help to cause or prevent disease....
  3. Medicare Card, The 1000 Genomes Project more than doubles catalog of human genetic variation Medicare Card, The 1000 Genomes Project more than doubles catalog of human genetic variation...
  4. Medicare Card, NIH researchers conduct first genomic survey of human skin fungal diversity Medicare Card, NIH researchers conduct first genomic survey of human skin fungal diversity...
  5. Medicare Card, New genetic link found between normal fetal growth and cancer Medicare Card, New genetic link found between normal fetal growth and cancer...
  6. Medicare Card, Human Connectome Project marks its first phase Medicare Card, Human Connectome Project marks its first phase...
  7. Scientists Identify Brain Circuits Related to the Initiation and Termination of Movement Sequences in NIH-Supported Study In humans, throwing a ball, typing on a keyboard, or engaging in most other physical activities involves the coordination of numerous discrete movements that are organized as action sequences. Scientists at the National Institutes of Health and the Gulbenkian Institute in Portugal have identified brain activity in mice that can signal the initiation and termination […]...
  8. Medicare, Novel Therapeutic Approach, Shows Promise Against Multiple Bacterial Pathogens A team of scientists from government, academia and private industry has developed a novel treatment that protects mice from infection with the bacterium that causes tularemia, a highly infectious disease of rodents, sometimes transmitted to people, and also known as rabbit fever. In additional experiments with human immune cells, the treatment also demonstrated protection against […]...
  9. Medicare Card, Gene variants found associated with human immune system, autoimmune disease Medicare Card, Gene variants found associated with human immune system, autoimmune disease...
  10. Arsenic turns stem cells cancerous, spurring tumor growth Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have discovered how exposure to arsenic can turn normal stem cells into cancer stem cells and spur tumor growth. Inorganic arsenic, which affects the drinking water of millions of people worldwide, has been previously shown to be a human carcinogen. A growing body of evidence suggests that cancer […]...
  11. New model of ALS is based on human cells from autopsied tissue By isolating cells from patients’ spinal tissue within a few days after death, researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have developed a new model of the paralyzing disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). They found that during the disease, cells called astrocytes become toxic to nerve cells — a result previously found in animal […]...
  12. Third generation map of human genetic variation published An international consortium today published a third-generation map of human genetic variation, called the HapMap, which includes data from an additional seven global populations, increasing the total number to 11 populations. The improved resolution will help researchers interpret current genome studies aimed at finding common and rarer genetic variants associated with complex diseases. Find good […]...
  13. Uterine stem cells used to treat diabetes in mice Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have converted stem cells from the human endometrium into insulin-producing cells and transplanted them into mice to control the animals’ diabetes....
  14. Medicare Card, NIH launches human RSV study Medicare Card, NIH launches human RSV study...
  15. Medicare Card – Gum disease Researchers identify immune culprits linked to inflammation and bone loss in gum disease An unhealthy population of microbes in the mouth triggers specialized immune cells that inflame and destroy tissues, leading to the type of bone loss associated with a severe form of gum disease, according to a new study in mice and humans. The […]...