Gut mucosal microbes evolved closest to the host, developing specialized local communities. There is, however, insufficient knowledge of these communities as most studies have employed sequencing technologies to investigate faecal microbiota only. This work used shotgun metagenomics of mucosal biopsies to explore the microbial communities' compositions of terminal ileum and large intestine in 5 healthy individuals. Functional annotations and genome-scale metabolic modelling of selected species were then employed to identify local functional enrichments. While faecal metagenomics provided a good approximation of the average gut mucosal microbiome composition, mucosal biopsies allowed detecting the subtle variations of local microbial communities. Given their significant enrichment in the mucosal microbiota, we highlight the roles of Bacteroides species and describe the antimicrobial resistance biogeography along the intestine. We also detail which species, at which locations, are involved with the tryptophan/indole pathway, whose malfunctioning has been linked to pathologies including inflammatory bowel disease. Our study thus provides invaluable resources for investigating mechanisms connecting gut microbiota and host pathophysiology.

/pdf/compositional-and-functional-differences-of-the-mucosal-2ubp69r2eo.pdf

Compositional and functional differences of the mucosal microbiota along the intestine of healthy individuals

Microorganisms engage in complex interactions with other organisms and their environment. Recent studies have shown that these interactions are not limited to the exchange of electron donors. Most microorganisms are auxotrophs, thus relying on external nutrients for growth, including the exchange of amino acids and vitamins. Currently, we lack a deeper understanding of auxotrophies in microorganisms and how nutrient requirements differ between different strains and different environments. In this Opinion article, we describe how the study of auxotrophies and nutrient requirements among members of complex communities will enable new insights into community composition and assembly. Understanding this complex network over space and time is crucial for developing strategies to interrogate and shape microbial communities.

The social network of microorganisms - how auxotrophies shape complex communities.

Beside cytotoxic drugs, other drugs can impact men's fertility through various mechanisms. Via the modification of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis hormones or by non-hormonal mechanisms, drugs may directly and indirectly induce sexual dysfunction and spermatogenesis impairment and alteration of epididymal maturation. This systematic literature review summarizes existing data about the negative impact and associations of pharmacological treatments on male fertility (excluding cytotoxic drugs), with a view to making these data more readily available for medical staff. In most cases, these effects on spermatogenesis/sperm maturation/sexual function are reversible after the discontinuation of the drug. When a reprotoxic treatment cannot be stopped and/or when the impact on semen parameters/sperm DNA is potentially irreversible (Sulfasalazine Azathioprine, Mycophenolate mofetil and Methotrexate), the cryopreservation of spermatozoa before treatment must be proposed. Deleterious impacts on fertility of drugs with very good or good level of evidence (Testosterone, Sulfasalazine, Anabolic steroids, Cyproterone acetate, Opioids, Tramadol, GhRH analogues and Sartan) are developed.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/andr.12366

The impact of drugs on male fertility: a review

ESO–ESMO 4th International Consensus Guidelines for Breast Cancer in Young Women (BCY4)

https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/8679122/file/8679123.pdf

Update on fertility preservation from the Barcelona International Society for Fertility Preservation-ESHRE-ASRM 2015 expert meeting: indications, results and future perspectives.

In the last years, thanks to the improvement in the prognosis of cancer patients, a growing attention has been given to the fertility issues. International guidelines on fertility preservation in cancer patients recommend that physicians discuss, as early as possible, with all patients of reproductive age their risk of infertility from the disease and/or treatment and their interest in having children after cancer, and help with informed fertility preservation decisions. As recommended by the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the European Society for Medical Oncology, sperm cryopreservation and embryo/oocyte cryopreservation are standard strategies for fertility preservations in male and female patients, respectively; other strategies (e.g. pharmacological protection of the gonads and gonadal tissue cryopreservation) are considered experimental techniques. However, since then, new data have become available, and several issues in this field are still controversial and should be addressed by both patients and their treating physicians. In April 2015, physicians with expertise in the field of fertility preservation in cancer patients from several European countries were invited in Genova (Italy) to participate in a workshop on the topic of “cancer and fertility preservation”. A total of ten controversial issues were discussed at the conference. Experts were asked to present an up-to-date review of the literature published on these topics and the presentation of own unpublished data was encouraged. On the basis of the data presented, as well as the expertise of the invited speakers, a total of ten recommendations were discussed and prepared with the aim to help physicians in counseling their young patients interested in fertility preservation. Although there is a great interest in this field, due to the lack of large prospective cohort studies and randomized trials on these topics, the level of evidence is not higher than 3 for most of the recommendations highlighting the need of further research efforts in many areas of this field. The participation to the ongoing registries and prospective studies is crucial to acquire more robust information in order to provide evidence-based recommendations.

/pdf/cancer-and-fertility-preservation-international-5drg8ol4gz.pdf

Cancer and fertility preservation: international recommendations from an expert meeting

Prospective study to optimize care and improve knowledge on ovarian function and/or fertility preservation in young breast cancer patients: Results of the pilot phase of the PREgnancy and FERtility (PREFER) study.

Introduction: Controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) is a crucial step before oocyte collection and subsequent embryo/oocyte cryopreservation. However, in young breast cancer patients, the need for COS raises specific issues that should be taken into account during oncofertility counseling.Areas covered: We aim to perform an overview of COS protocols with a specific focus on the current knowledge and clinical challenges related to their use in young breast cancer patients.Expert commentary: Many protocols for COS are currently available to induce multiple follicular recruitment and maximize oocyte retrieval in women undergoing in vitro fertilization treatment. In cancer patients, to avoid the need to wait for a spontaneous menstruation, emergency protocols are also available so that COS can be started at any time during the menstrual cycle. COS protocols with the addition of tamoxifen or letrozole have been specifically designed for breast cancer patients to limit the potential negative impact of th...

Maria Carolina Pescio

Papers

Cancer and fertility preservation: international recommendations from an expert meeting

Prospective study to optimize care and improve knowledge on ovarian function and/or fertility preservation in young breast cancer patients: Results of the pilot phase of the PREgnancy and FERtility (PREFER) study.

Methods of controlled ovarian stimulation for embryo/oocyte cryopreservation in breast cancer patients