The Timeline of MEBO and PATM studies

In a new blog post, we delve into the evolving landscape of research and community engagement surrounding poorly understood medical conditions MEBO and PATM. The timeline spans from the late 1990s to 2023, capturing key milestones:

Late 1990s - early 2000s: The Dawn of Online Support Forums 

2006-2007: Birth of MEBO and PATM Communities

2008: Broadening the Dialogue

2009: Formalizing Research Efforts

2010: Unveiling the Microbiome and Genetic Factors

2011: The Advent of Genomic Data Sharing

2012: Empowering Patients Through Technology

2013: Deepening Theoretical Insights

2014: Therapeutic Innovations

2015: Expanding Testing and New Molecular Targets

2016: Streamlining Diagnostic Approaches

2017: Diagnostic Breakthroughs and the Social Media Shift

2018-2020: Advancing Research and Understanding

2021-2023: Ongoing Challenges and Future Directions

Despite significant advancements, the post underscores the challenges faced by these communities, including the lack of interest from mainstream science and the absence of definitive cures. It serves as both a historical account and a call to action for increased scientific inquiry into these conditions.

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Cracking the Code of PATM

People Allergic to Me (PATM) condition has long baffled sufferers and medical experts, leaving many without a diagnosis and grappling with mental health challenges. Even though there are some shared microbes in the microbiome, only small subset of PATM sufferers have received a TMAU diagnosis. 

A study conducted by Professor Sekine and published in Nature Scientific Reports has uncovered new insights into this condition. Sekine's research team comprehensively analyzed the skin gas profiles of 44 study participants, 20 of whom suffered from PATM while 24 were in a control group. Using gas chromatography mass spectrometry, they identified major differences in the production of volatile organic compounds between the two groups.

Among the 75 measured skin gases, the PATM group exhibited significantly greater emission fluxes for some chemicals with offensive odors. The emissions of several petrochemicals were also notably higher in the PATM group aligning with our yet to be published results from MEBO-Menssana Alveolar Breath Test Study (registered as NCT03451994). Results of our Microbiome study (registered as NCT03582826) may explain possible microbial sources of compounds that differentiate PATM from non-PATM populations. More on Professor Sekine's findings is available in Aurametrix blog and the original paper. 

We will be publishing our complementary results soon, further contributing to the scientific community's knowledge of PATM, TMAU and MEBO.

 

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Unleashing Synthetic Biology to Cure TMAU

Trimethylamine (TMA) is a volatile tertiary aliphatic amine primarily derived from dietary consumption. In the human body, this compound typically undergoes metabolism by the enzyme flavin-containing monooxygenase 3 (FMO3) into a less malodorous byproduct - trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO). 

While microbiome often assist those with less efficient digestive genes to metabolize food, as observed in cases of lactose intolerance, FMO3 enzyme is an exception as it is not naturally produced by bacteria, only in humans, primates and some mammals.

Fortunately, a similar enzyme, Trimethylamine monooxygenase (TMM), can catalyze the oxidation of TMA to TMAO. Notably, this enzyme is found in the marine bacterium Ruegeria pomeroyi.

Building on the groundbreaking efforts of a preceding team that successfully synthesized TMM from Ruegeria pomeroyi and expressed it in E. coli, this year's Florida State University (FSU) iGEM team is poised to expand this research further. Leveraging promoters crafted by previous FSU iGEM teams (from 2018 and 2020) and armed with a FMO3 CRISPR/Cas9 Plasmid, they are geared up to take the reins and explore new frontiers in the treatment of TMAU using synthetic biology.

With the initiation of this year's competition, the FSU team is now racing against time. With two months to see their project to completion, they're equipped with three plasmids, a wealth of knowledge, and a strong determination to discover a therapy for TMAU, a metabolic disorder that has no cure.

The process won't be easy. The late nights in the lab, the countless trials and failures, and the endless tweaking of protocols are all part of this journey. But the prospect of developing a therapy for TMAU and pushing the boundaries of synthetic biology, make the journey worth every challenge.

Today we learned about some of the details of the project from Human Practices leads Christian Suastegui and Colton Keib. Other student members of the team are Graeme Pugsley, Eva Lobaton, John Amos, Jolene Jones, Hanna Yilmaz-Rodriguez, Sonali Shakya, Vicenzo DeVito and Prerna Ravinder.  The team lead is Elizabeth Moore. Read FSU blog and our updates and stay tuned as we follow this team's exciting adventure. 

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