In this summer edition of Microbiology Time, we flew to a Mars-like environment to evaluate microbial diversity, discovered a non-invasive method for early diagnosis of ALS, and learned how to detect nasopharyngeal carcinoma through EBV DNA load in the nasopharynx.
Preparing for the Red Planet conquest
With the first paper, we fly to Mars – or at least to the closest place to Mars on Earth. Here, Leite and colleagues investigated microbial diversity and potential contamination at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS), a terrestrial analogue for human missions to Mars. Researchers analysed swab samples from interior surfaces of the habitat and a soil sample from outside the airlock to assess microbial transfer. The internal microbiome was dominated by human-associated bacteria, along with fungal genera. The soil microbiome differed significantly and included extremophiles. No evidence of forward contamination from the habitat to the environment was found. However, bacterial strains found in both environments suggest backward contamination, indicating environmental microbes were brought inside. These findings highlight the importance of planetary protection protocols and microbial monitoring in future missions headed to the Red Planet.
Early ALS diagnosis through olfactory mucosa sampling
Let’s come down to Earth, with a study published on Molecular Degeneration. This study investigated the presence of pathological TDP-43 protein aggregates in the olfactory mucosa of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and related disorders using a seed amplification assay (SAA). The Italian researchers analysed samples from ALS patients, individuals with other neurodegenerative diseases, and controls. The TDP-43 SAA demonstrated high specificity, with positive results predominantly in ALS patients, particularly those with genetic forms of the disease. The assay effectively distinguished ALS from non-TDP-43-related neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. No positive results were observed in controls. The study highlights the potential of olfactory mucosa sampling combined with SAA as a minimally invasive diagnostic tool for detecting TDP-43 pathology in living patients, suggesting utility for early diagnosis, disease monitoring, and patient stratification in clinical trials targeting TDP-43 proteinopathy.
EBV DNA-load and Nasopharyngeal carcinoma detection
The third study assessed the diagnostic effectiveness of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA detection in nasopharyngeal swabs, plasma, and saliva for screening nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Researchers examined paired samples from 150 patients and 150 controls. Nasopharyngeal swabbing showed the highest sensitivity and specificity, significantly outperforming plasma and saliva. The study concludes that nasopharyngeal swabs for EBV-DNA testing is a highly accurate, non-invasive method for NPC screening, superior to plasma and saliva-based approaches, supporting the use of localized viral load measurement at the primary site for improved early diagnosis and disease management in high-risk populations.
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