The microbes inside us

The ideas and innovators shaping health care

Feb 20, 2024 View in browser   By Erin Schumaker, Ruth Reader, Carmen Paun and Daniel Payne THE NEXT CURES Researchers are modeling the microbes that live inside us. | AP A lab model of a healthy human microbiome could help increase the understanding of how microorganisms — like the fungi, bacteria and viruses living on and inside us — affect health. Every human has their own unique microbiome containing trillions of microorganisms, many of them in the gut and small and large intestines. The lab model is “kind of like a cookbook of microbial communities, and we can decide what is practical for us to use to explore different questions,” said Jordan Bisanz, an assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at the Penn State Eberly College of Science, who was awarded $1.9 million from the National Institutes of Health to build one. How so? “We plan to look at information from hundreds of people to identify the most common strains or combinations of strains in a healthy microbiome,” Bisanz said in a statement. “Then, we can essentially design a healthy microbiome and use that as a model system to understand how the community functions.” After building the microbiome model, the team plans to use it to study how the microbiome: — Responds to certain diseases — Affects a patient’s response to medications, such as their body’s effectiveness and efficiency at absorbing drugs What’s next? The goal is to develop more targeted therapies. In the future, patients might take a test at a doctor’s office. If the test identifies a genetic marker in the patient’s microbiome that suggests they’ll absorb a drug quickly, for example, their doctor could adjust their treatment dosage based on that information. First up: Bisanz’s lab plans to study oral antimalarial drugs, known for having unexplained variations of side effects ranging from dizziness to vomiting to lucid dreams.   CONGRESS OVERDRIVE: Since day one, POLITICO has been laser-focused on Capitol Hill, serving up the juiciest Congress coverage. Now, we’re upping our game to ensure you’re up to speed and in the know on every tasty morsel and newsy nugget from inside the Capitol Dome, around the clock. Wake up, read Playbook AM, get up to speed at midday with our Playbook PM halftime report, and fuel your nightly conversations with Inside Congress in the evening. Plus, never miss a beat with buzzy, real-time updates throughout the day via our Inside Congress Live feature. Learn more and subscribe here.     WELCOME TO FUTURE PULSE Great Falls, Va. | Shawn Zeller/POLITICO This is where we explore the ideas and innovators shaping health care. Will AI-generated voices of people who died by gun violence move lawmakers? Campaigners for gun control are about to find out, as the voices of their loved ones echo through the halls of Congress, years after their deaths, CNN reports. Share any thoughts, news, tips and feedback with Carmen Paun at cpaun@politico.com, Daniel Payne at dpayne@politico.com, Ruth Reader at rreader@politico.com or Erin Schumaker at eschumaker@politico.com. Send tips securely through SecureDrop, Signal, Telegram or WhatsApp.  SAFETY CHECK ChatGPT knows a lot about broken bones. | AFP via Getty Images ChatGPT can answer common questions about surgical procedures in a way most people can easily understand, a recent study from researchers at the Hospital for Special Surgery suggests. The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Why it matters: ChatGPT is becoming a popular alternative to Google for people seeking health information. Even so: ChatGPT wasn’t comprehensive. Researchers found it missed important nuances, like the impact of preexisting conditions when determining whether surgery could be too risky. It’s important to note that the findings were presented at a conference and haven’t yet undergone the rigorous peer review process required before a study’s publication to ensure its accuracy.   DON’T MISS POLITICO’S GOVERNORS SUMMIT: Join POLITICO on Feb. 22 to dive into how Governors are wielding immense power. While Washington remains gridlocked, governors are at the center of landmark decisions in AI and tech, economic development, infrastructure, housing, reproductive health and energy. How are they setting the stage for the future of American politics, policies and priorities? How are they confronting major challenges? Explore these questions and more at the 2024 Governors Summit. REGISTER HERE.     TECH MAZE AI's raising the cybersecurity stakes for hospitals. | Getty The Biden administration wants to strengthen cybersecurity at hospitals and other critical infrastructure partly because of the increased risk posed by artificial intelligence. “No longer can our cyber defense focus on espionage and data theft,” the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said about its plans. “We must now posture to protect our country and allies against destructive attacks designed to cause real-world harm.” Focal point: The Department of Health and Human Services last month unveiled voluntary cybersecurity performance goals for health care facilities after it said in December it would propose new cyber mandates for hospitals via Medicare and Medicaid. Why it matters: The priorities come as the health care sector is under siege from cyberattacks, with breaches and ransomware demands exploding in recent years. Ransomware has disrupted care delivery, forced ambulances to reroute and threatened patient safety.   Follow us on Twitter Carmen Paun @carmenpaun Daniel Payne @_daniel_payne Ruth Reader @RuthReader Erin Schumaker @erinlschumaker   Follow us

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