"Gut Virome's Role in Regulating Stress and Immune Responses"

A study suggests that a subset of viruses living in the human gut, known as bacteriophages, could play a crucial role in regulating stress. Research indicates that stress exposure leads to changes in the composition of these viruses and the bacteria in the gut, and transplanting viruses from unstressed animals reduced stress hormones and curbed depression- and anxiety-like behavior in mice. This provides evidence that gut viruses are involved in the response to stress and manipulating them could have therapeutic benefits, potentially leading to personalized medicine approaches for stress-related disorders in the future.