Viruses in the gut may help prevent blood sugar spikes, mouse study hints

An illustration of walls of pink vertical finger-like projections covered with green and purple molecules.

Viruses found in the intestines — collectively called the gut virome — activate the immune system to help metabolize carbohydrates, thereby reducing blood sugar spikes, a new study in mice shows.

The findings, published March 11 in the journal Cell Host & Microbe, hint that the virome may play a role in metabolic disorders such as diabetes, the study authors said.