The Medical Advisor

The gut-brain axis is a bidirectional communication network linking your gastrointestinal tract to your brain via neural, hormonal, and immune pathways. Trillions of microbes in your gut microbiome play a central role, producing neurotransmitters like serotonin (95% originates in the gut), short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like butyrate, and other metabolites that influence mood, stress response, cognition, and even neurodegenerative disease risk. Emerging 2025 research highlights how microbiome imbalances (dysbiosis) contribute to anxiety, depression, neuroinflammation, and conditions like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, while optimization supports resilience and mental clarity. In diabetes, there's often a state of gut dysbiosis — an imbalance in the microbial community. This dysbiosis leads to increased intestinal permeability, often called "leaky gut," allowing harmful substances to enter your bloodstream and trigger systemic inflammation. Similarly, alterations in...

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy has revolutionized treatment for blood cancers, but its application to solid tumors—like glioblastoma (brain cancer) and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC)—remains limited by poor persistence, rapid exhaustion, immunosuppressive tumor microenvironments, and off-tumor toxicity. In 2025, breakthroughs in engineering have produced next-generation CAR-T cells with enhanced longevity and precise, remote activation via focused ultrasound (FUS), offering new hope for these challenging cancers. Enhancing Persistence: Building Longer-Lasting CAR-T Cells Traditional CAR-T cells often exhaust quickly in solid tumors due to chronic antigen stimulation and hostile conditions. Innovations focus on genetic modifications to improve survival and function: Positive feedback loops and advanced signaling domains : Designs incorporating synthetic circuits reprogram tumor engagement into sustained CAR expression, reducing exhaustion. Single-cell analyses s...