身為一個熱愛美食、喜歡在城市裡挖掘驚喜的人，臺中公益路一直是我最常出沒的地方之一。這條路可說是「臺中人的美食戰場」，從精緻西餐到創意火鍋，從日式丼飯到義式早午餐，每走幾步，就會有完全不同的特色料理餐廳。

這次我特別花了一整個月，實際造訪了公益路上十間口碑不錯的餐廳。有的是網友熱推的打卡名店，也有隱藏在巷弄裡的小驚喜。我以環境氛圍、口味表現、價格CP值與再訪意願為基準，整理出這篇實測評比。希望能幫正在猶豫去哪裡吃飯的你，找到那一間「吃完會想再來」的餐廳。

評比標準與整理方向

這次我走訪的10家餐廳橫跨不同料理類型，從高質感牛排館到巷弄系早午餐，每一間都有自己獨特的風格。為了讓整體比較更客觀，我依照以下四大面向進行評比，並搭配實際用餐體驗來打分。

整體而言，我希望這份評比不只是「哪家好吃」，而是幫你在不同情境下（約會、家庭聚餐、朋友小聚、商業午餐）都能快速找到合適的選擇。畢竟，美食不只是味覺的滿足，更是一段段與朋友共享的生活記憶。

10間臺中公益路餐廳評比懶人包

公益路向來是臺中人聚餐的首選地段，從火鍋、燒肉到中式料理與早午餐，每走幾步就有驚喜。以下是我實際造訪過的10間代表性餐廳清單，橫跨平價、創意、高級各路風格。

一頭牛日式燒肉｜炭香濃郁的和牛饗宴，約會聚餐首選

走在公益路上，很難不被 一頭牛日式燒肉 的木質外觀吸引。低調卻不失質感的門面，搭配昏黃燈光與暖色調的內裝，讓人一進門就感受到濃濃的日式職人氛圍。店內空間不大，但桌距規劃得宜，每桌皆設有獨立排煙設備，烤肉時完全不怕滿身油煙味。

餐點特色

一頭牛的靈魂，絕對是他們招牌的「三國和牛拼盤」。
嚴選的和牛部位，共八個部位、十樣餐點，讓人能從牛頭一路品嘗到牛尾。
油花分布均勻、切片厚薄恰好，經過炭火烤炙後香氣四溢，焦香與油脂在口中交融，入口即化的滑順感令人難忘。
值得一提的是，一頭牛的菜單設計十分彈性
想要一次體驗完整套餐也可以，偏好客製口味則能自由單點組合，不受套餐限制，想吃什麼就點什麼。
而且每桌都能選擇「自行燒烤」或「專人代烤」服務，烤肉管家的火侯掌握與節奏讓整體體驗更輕鬆愉快。
除了主角和牛，旬味野炊飯 與 主廚冰淇淋 也是隱藏版亮點，前者粒粒分明、香氣撲鼻；後者以香草與焙茶為基底，隨季節更換口味，完美收尾。整體服務親切熱情，特別是壽星還能享有 生日畫盤驚喜，讓慶祝時刻更添儀式感。

用餐體驗

整體節奏掌握得非常好。店員會在你剛想烤下一片肉時貼心遞上夾子、幫忙換烤網，讓人完全不用分心。整場用餐過程就像一場表演，從視覺、嗅覺到味覺都被滿足。
如果是第一次約會或慶祝特別節日，這裡的氛圍既不尷尬又不吵鬧，是營造氣氛的理想選擇。

綜合評分

地址：408臺中市南屯區公益路二段162號

電話：04-23206800

官網：https://lihi2.me/Amijw

小結語

一頭牛日式燒肉不僅是「吃肉的地方」，更像是一場五感盛宴。從進門那一刻到最後一道甜點，都能感受到他們對細節的用心。
若要在公益路找一間能讓人「邊吃邊微笑」的燒肉店，一頭牛 絕對值得列入你的必訪清單。

TANG Zhan 湯棧｜文青系火鍋代表，麻香湯底與視覺美感並重

在公益路這條美食戰線上，TANG Zhan 湯棧 是讓人一眼就會想走進去的那一種。
黑灰調的現代外觀、搭配微霧玻璃與招牌的「湯棧」燈字，呈現出一種低調的時尚感。
店內設計延續品牌主題，以「湯」為靈魂打造整體體驗，從裝潢到香氣，都有濃厚的溫潤氣息。

餐點特色

湯棧最有名的當然是它的「麻香鍋」。
湯底以雞骨與多種辛香料慢熬，香氣濃郁卻不嗆辣，入口後會在喉間留下柔和的花椒香。
「招牌麻油雞鍋」與「黃金牛奶鍋」也是人氣選項，特別是在冬天，溫潤的湯底配上滑嫩肉片，讓人每一口都覺得暖心。
他們的「滷肉飯」和「香蔥豆腐皮」更是許多老客人必點的靈魂配角，簡單卻有記憶點。

用餐體驗

整體氛圍比一般火鍋店更有質感。
桌距寬敞、燈光柔和，店員動作俐落又親切。即使客滿，也不會感覺吵雜或壓迫。
不論是一個人想靜靜吃鍋、或是朋友聚餐，湯棧都能給你剛剛好的距離與溫度。
值得一提的是，上菜速度快、湯底續湯毫不手軟，細節服務到位。

綜合評分

地址：408臺中市南屯區公益路二段248號

電話：04-22580617

官網：https://www.facebook.com/TangZhan.tw/

小結語

NINI 尼尼臺中店｜明亮寬敞的義式早午餐天堂

如果說前兩間是肉食愛好者的天堂，那 NINI 尼尼臺中店 絕對是想放鬆、聊聊天的好地方。餐廳外觀以白色系與大片玻璃窗為主，陽光灑進室內，讓人一踏入就有種度假般的輕盈感。假日早午餐時段特別熱鬧，建議提早訂位。

餐點特色

NINI 的菜單融合義式與臺灣人口味，選擇多樣且份量十足。主打的 松露燉飯 濃郁卻不膩口，米芯保留微Q口感；而 香蒜海鮮義大利麵 則以新鮮白蝦、花枝與淡菜搭配微辣蒜香，口感層次豐富。
此外，他們的薄餅披薩相當受歡迎，餅皮薄脆、餡料新鮮，是三五好友共享的好選擇。

用餐體驗

店內氣氛輕鬆不拘謹，無論是一個人帶電腦工作、或朋友聚餐，都能找到舒服角落。餐點上桌速度穩定，服務人員態度親切、補水與收盤都非常主動。整體節奏讓人覺得「時間變慢了」，很適合想遠離忙碌日常的人。

綜合評分

地址：40861臺中市南屯區公益路二段18號

電話：04-23288498

官網：https://nini.com.tw/

小結語

加分100%浜中特選昆布鍋物｜平價卻用心的湯頭系火鍋，家庭聚餐好選擇

在公益路這條高質感餐廳林立的戰場上，加分100%浜中特選昆布鍋物 走的是截然不同的路線。它沒有浮誇的裝潢、也沒有高價位的套餐，但靠著實在的湯頭與親切的服務，默默吸引許多回頭客。每到用餐時間，總能看到家庭或情侶三兩成群地圍著鍋邊聊天。

餐點特色

主打 北海道浜中昆布湯底，湯頭清澈卻不單薄，越煮越能喝出海藻與柴魚的自然香氣。
我這次點的是「牛奶昆布鍋」，入口時奶香與昆布香完美融合，搭配新鮮的牛五花肉片，滑順又不膩。
菜盤走健康取向，蔬菜比例高，連玉米、南瓜、豆皮都能吃出甜味；附餐的烏龍麵Q彈有嚼勁，吃完十分有飽足感。

用餐體驗

整體氛圍偏家庭取向，桌距寬敞、座位舒適，帶小孩來也不覺擁擠。店員態度親切，補湯、收盤都很勤快，給人一種「被照顧著」的安心感。
最難得的是，即使價位不高，食材新鮮度仍維持得很好，能感受到店家對品質的堅持。

綜合評分

地址：403臺中市西區公益路288號

電話：0910855180

官網：https://giafine100.com/

小結語

加分100%浜中特選昆布鍋物是一間「不浮誇、但會讓人想再訪」的火鍋店。它不追求豪華擺盤，而是用最簡單的湯頭與新鮮食材，傳遞出家常卻不平凡的溫度。
如果你想在公益路找一間可以放心帶家人一起吃的鍋物店，這裡絕對會讓人感到「加分」不少。

印月餐廳｜中式料理的藝術演繹，宴客與家庭聚會首選

說到臺中公益路的中式料理代表，印月餐廳 絕對是榜上有名。這間開業多年的餐廳以「中菜西吃」的概念聞名，把傳統中式料理以現代手法重新詮釋。從建築外觀到餐具擺設，每個細節都散發著低調的典雅氣息。
走進印月，挑高的空間、柔和的燈光與木質桌椅構成沉穩的氛圍。
不論是家庭聚餐、商務宴客，還是節日慶祝，都能找到恰到好處的格調。

餐點特色

印月最令人印象深刻的是他們將傳統中菜融入創意手法。
這次我品嚐的「松露雞湯」香氣濃郁、層次分明，一口下去既有中式的溫潤感，又帶出西式松露的奢華香氣。
「蒜香牛肋條」則是另一道招牌菜，外酥內嫩、油香十足，咬下去肉汁在口中散開，搭配特調醬汁非常過癮。
此外，他們的創意港點如「麻辣小籠包」與「金沙流沙包」也深受年輕客群喜愛，既保留經典又玩出新意。

用餐體驗

服務方面完全對得起餐廳的高級定位。從入座、點餐到上菜節奏，都拿捏得恰如其分。每道菜都會有服務人員細心介紹食材與吃法，讓人感受到「被款待」的尊榮感。
雖然價位偏中高，但在這樣的氛圍與品質下，物有所值。

綜合評分

地址：408臺中市南屯區公益路二段818號

電話：0422511155

官網：https://wein818.com/

小結語

印月餐廳是一間「不只吃飯，更像品味生活」的地方。
它成功地讓中式料理不再只是圓桌菜，而是能展現質感、講究細節的美食體驗。
若你在找一間能同時滿足味蕾與體面的餐廳，印月 絕對是公益路上的不敗經典。

KoDō 和牛燒肉｜極致職人精神，專為儀式感與頂級味覺而生

若要形容 KoDō 和牛燒肉 的用餐體驗，一句話足以總結——「像在欣賞一場關於肉的表演」。
隱身在公益路一隅，KoDō 的外觀低調典雅，店內以深色木質調與間接照明營造出沉穩氛圍。
從踏入店門那一刻開始，服務人員的態度、動線、聲音控制，全都精準到位，讓人彷彿走進日式劇場。

餐點特色

這裡主打 日本A5和牛冷藏肉，以「精切厚燒」的方式呈現。
我點的「壽喜燒風和牛套餐」是本日最驚艷的一道——服務人員現場以鐵鍋輕煎，再淋上特製壽喜燒醬汁，香氣瞬間瀰漫整桌。
肉片油花細緻、入口即化，搭配生蛋液後更添柔滑口感。
另一道「冷藏肋眼心」則保留了和牛的彈性與甜度，每一口都能感受到油脂與炭火交織出的層次。
即使是配角如「季節小菜」與「日式和風飯」也毫不馬虎，整體呈現出高級卻不造作的平衡。

用餐體驗

KoDō 的最大特色是「儀式感」。
每位店員的動作都有節奏，從擺盤、火候、換網到講解，都像排練過無數次的演出。
在這裡用餐，會自然地放慢速度，專注於每一口肉帶來的細膩變化。
特別推薦搭配店內的紅酒或日本威士忌，風味更加圓潤。

綜合評分

地址：403臺中市西區公益路260號

電話：0423220312

官網：https://www.facebook.com/kodo2018/

小結語

KoDō 和牛燒肉不是日常餐廳，而是一場體驗。
從環境、服務到食材，每個細節都讓人感受到對「完美」的執著。
若你想在公益路找一間能讓人留下深刻印象、適合紀念日慶祝的餐廳，KoDō 絕對是值得收藏的一次「味覺儀式」。

永心鳳茶｜在茶香裡用餐的優雅時光，臺味早午餐的新詮釋

走進 永心鳳茶公益店，彷彿進入一間有氣質的茶館。
柔和的燈光灑在復古綠牆上，搭配大理石桌面與金色餐具，整體氛圍既典雅又帶有一絲文青氣息。
這裡不只是喝茶的地方，更像是把「臺灣味」以早午餐的形式重新演繹。

餐點特色

永心鳳茶的餐點結合中式靈魂與西式擺盤，無論是「炸雞腿飯」還是「紅玉紅茶拿鐵」，都能讓人感受到熟悉卻不平凡的味道。
炸雞腿外酥內嫩，搭配自製酸菜與溏心蛋，鹹香中帶著層次感。
「鳳茶甜點拼盤」則以茶為靈魂——伯爵茶蛋糕、烏龍茶奶酪、紅茶雪酥，每一口都有細緻的香氣變化。
最特別的是他們的茶飲，從臺灣高山紅茶到金萱冷泡茶，每一壺都現泡現倒，香氣清雅。
對我而言，這不只是一頓飯，更是一段放鬆的午後儀式。

用餐體驗

店內服務人員態度溫和，對茶品介紹詳盡。上餐節奏剛好，不急不徐。
整體氛圍很「耐坐」，許多客人吃完正餐後仍會續點一壺茶聊天。
音樂輕柔、光線柔和，是那種可以靜靜待上兩小時的地方。

綜合評分

地址：40360臺中市西區公益路68號三樓(勤美誠品)

電話：0423221118

官網：https://linktr.ee/yonshin

小結語

永心鳳茶讓人重新定義「臺味」。
它不走傳統路線，而是把熟悉的元素以更細緻、更現代的方式呈現。
無論是姊妹下午茶、親子餐聚，或是想一個人沉澱片刻，永心鳳茶 都是一處能讓人慢下來、品味生活的好地方。

三希樓｜老饕級江浙功夫菜，穩重又帶人情味的中式饗宴

位於公益路上的 三希樓 是許多臺中老饕的口袋名單。
它沒有浮誇的裝潢，卻有一種低調的自信。從大門進入，就能聞到淡淡的醬香與蒸氣味，那是正宗江浙菜的靈魂。
整體裝潢以深木色為主，搭配圓桌與包廂設計，非常適合家庭聚餐或請客宴會。

餐點特色

三希樓的菜色以 江浙與港式料理 為主，兼顧傳統與現代風味。
我這次點了「東坡肉」與「蝦仁炒飯」，兩道都展現了主廚深厚的火候功力。
東坡肉油亮卻不膩，入口即化、鹹甜交織；蝦仁炒飯粒粒分明、香氣十足，每一口都吃得到鑊氣。
此外，「小籠包」皮薄多汁，是幾乎每桌必點的招牌；港點類如「金牌流沙包」與「干貝燒賣」也都表現穩定。

用餐體驗

三希樓的服務給人一種老派但貼心的感覺。
店員上菜節奏掌握得很好，會主動幫忙分菜、收盤，態度沉穩而不打擾。
最讓我印象深刻的是，這裡的客群非常多元——有帶長輩的家庭、公司聚餐，也有情侶共度節日，卻都能在同一空間裡感到自在。

綜合評分

地址：408臺中市南屯區公益路二段95號

電話：0423202322

官網：https://www.sanxilou.com.tw/

小結語

三希樓是一間「吃得出功夫」的餐廳。
它不追求創新，而是用穩定的味道與真材實料，抓住每一位饕客的胃。
如果你想在公益路上找一間能兼顧長輩口味、氣氛又不拘謹的中餐廳，三希樓 絕對是最穩妥的選擇。

一笈壽司｜低調奢華的無菜單日料，職人手藝詮釋旬味極致

在熱鬧的公益路上，一笈壽司 低調得幾乎不顯眼。
外觀簡約，沒有華麗招牌，只有小小的木質門面與柔黃燈光。
一推開門，迎面而來的是日式杉木香氣與寧靜的氛圍，吧檯座位整齊排列，主廚站在中間，彷彿舞臺上的演出者。

餐點特色

一笈壽司採 Omakase（無菜單料理） 形式，每一餐都由主廚根據當日食材設計。
我這次選擇中價位套餐（約 $1200），共十多道料理，從前菜、小鉢、刺身、握壽司到甜點一氣呵成。
「比目魚鰭邊握」是整場最驚豔的瞬間——主廚以火槍輕炙，油脂瞬間釋放，入口後化成柔滑香氣。
「甜蝦海膽軍艦」則完美展現鮮度與層次感，海膽甘甜、甜蝦緊實。
搭配主廚親自調配的醬汁，每一口都像在品嚐季節的節奏。

用餐體驗

整場用餐約90分鐘，節奏緩慢但沉穩。
主廚會邊料理邊與客人互動，介紹魚種產地與食材處理方式。
雖然整體空間不大，但氣氛極佳——柔和的音樂、清酒的香氣、刀刃切魚時的聲音，讓人完全沉浸其中。
特別喜歡他們最後的甜點「焙茶奶酪」，收尾清爽優雅，為整場體驗畫下完美句點。

綜合評分

地址：408臺中市南屯區公益路二段25號

電話：0423206368

官網：https://www.facebook.com/YIJI.sushi/

小結語

一笈壽司是一間真正讓人「放慢呼吸」的餐廳。
這裡沒有多餘擺盤，也不靠噱頭，而是以主廚對食材的尊重與技術堆疊出一場味覺饗宴。
若你想在公益路體驗日本料理最純粹的精神，一笈壽司 絕對值得你預約、靜靜期待。

茶六燒肉堂｜人氣爆棚的和牛燒肉聖地，肉香與幸福感同時滿分

若要票選公益路上「最難訂位」的餐廳，茶六燒肉堂 絕對名列前茅。
不管平日或假日，用餐時段幾乎一位難求。外觀以木質格柵搭配大面玻璃設計，呈現出年輕又有質感的風格。店內空間明亮、桌距適中，播放著輕快的音樂，整體氛圍熱鬧中帶點高級感，是許多年輕人聚餐、慶生的首選地。

餐點特色

茶六主打 和牛燒肉套餐，價格約落在 $700–$1000 間，份量與品質兼具。
我這次點的是「厚切牛舌套餐」，肉片厚實彈牙，略帶脆感，搭配鹽蔥提味剛剛好。
另一道「和牛拼盤」也相當受歡迎，油花分布均勻、香氣濃郁，輕烤幾秒即可入口即化。
套餐附餐部分也相當用心：沙拉新鮮、味噌湯濃郁，最後還有一份「茶香冰淇淋」作結尾，香氣清爽，完美收尾。

用餐體驗

茶六的服務效率相當高。店員親切、換網勤快、補水速度快，整場用餐流程流暢無壓力。
雖然客人很多，但環境維持得乾淨整潔，動線規劃良好。
最令人印象深刻的是他們的 整體節奏拿捏得剛剛好 ——餐點上桌快、氣氛熱絡，卻不會讓人覺得匆忙。
不論是朋友聚會、家庭聚餐，甚至是情侶約會，都能找到各自的樂趣。

綜合評分

地址：403臺中市西區公益路268號

電話：0423281167

官網：https://inline.app/booking/-L93VSXuz8o86ahWDRg0:inline-live-karuizawa/-LUYUEIOYwa7GCUpAFWA

小結語

茶六燒肉堂用「穩定品質＋輕奢氛圍」抓住了臺中年輕族群的心。
不論是第一次約會還是老朋友重聚，都能在這裡找到屬於燒肉的快樂節奏。
若你在公益路只想挑一家「保證不踩雷」的燒肉店，茶六燒肉堂 絕對是首選。

吃完10家公益路餐廳後的心得與結語

吃完這十家餐廳後，臺中公益路不只是一條美食街，而是一段生活風景線。

有的餐廳講究細膩與儀式感，像 一頭牛日式燒肉 與 一笈壽司，讓人感受到食材最純粹的美好

有的則以親切與溫度打動人心，像 加分昆布鍋物、永心鳳茶，讓人明白吃飯不只是為了飽足，而是一種被照顧的幸福。

而像茶六燒肉堂、TANG Zhan 湯棧 這類人氣名店，則用穩定的品質與熱絡的氛圍，成為許多臺中人心中「想吃肉就去那裡」的代名詞。

這十家店，構成了公益路最動人的縮影

有華麗的，也有溫柔的；有傳統的，也有創新的。

 每一家都在自己的風格裡發光，讓人吃到的不只是料理，而是一種生活的溫度與節奏。

對我而言，這不僅是一場美食旅程，更是一趟關於「臺中味道」的回憶之旅。

FAQ：關於臺中公益路美食常見問題

Q1：公益路哪一區的餐廳最集中？
 最熱鬧的區段大約在「公益路與黎明路口」一帶，這裡聚集了許多知名餐廳，從高級燒肉到早午餐通通有。
像 一頭牛日式燒肉、TANG Zhan 湯棧、茶六燒肉堂 都在這附近，交通方便、停車也相對容易。

Q2：需要提前訂位嗎？
 公益路的熱門餐廳幾乎都建議 提早3～5天訂位，尤其是假日或節慶期間。
特別是 一頭牛日式燒肉、KoDō 和牛燒肉、一笈壽司 這幾家，若臨時前往幾乎很難有位。

最後的話

若要用一句話形容這趟美食之旅，我會說：
「在公益路，吃飯不是選擇，而是一種享受。」
這條路上的每一次用餐，都像一段城市裡的小旅行。
下次當你不確定想吃什麼時，不妨沿著公益路走一圈，或許下一家，正好就是你新的最愛。

永心鳳茶用餐時間會不會太短？

如果你也和我一樣喜歡用味蕾探索一座城市，那就把這篇公益路美食攻略收藏起來吧。茶六燒肉堂用餐時間會不會太短？

無論是約會、慶生、家庭聚餐，或只是想犒賞一下辛苦的自己——這條路上永遠會有一間剛剛好的餐廳在等你。NINI 尼尼臺中店調味偏重嗎？

下一餐，不妨從這10家開始。永心鳳茶食材新鮮嗎？

打開手機、約上朋友，讓公益路成為你生活裡最容易抵達的小確幸。一笈壽司飲料值得加點嗎？

如果你有私心愛店，也歡迎留言分享，一笈壽司尾牙聚餐表現如何？

你的推薦，可能讓我下一趟美食旅程變得更精彩。NINI 尼尼臺中店團體宴客合適嗎？

Researchers discovered the first millipede with more than 1,000 legs 60 meters underground in a drill hole created for mineral exploration in the mining area of the Eastern Goldfields Province of Australia. Credit: P. Marek et al., 2021, Scientific Reports The discovery of the first millipede with more than 1,000 legs is reported in Scientific Reports this week. Prior to this, no millipede had been found with more than 750 legs. Paul Marek and colleagues discovered the millipede 60 meters underground in a drill hole created for mineral exploration in the mining area of the Eastern Goldfields Province of Australia. It has 1,306 legs — more than any other animal — and belongs to a new species that has been named Eumillipes persephone. The millipede’s name derives from the Greek word eu- (true), the Latin words mille (thousand) and pes (foot), and references the Greek goddess of the underworld, Persephone. The authors measured four members of the new species and found that they have long, thread-like bodies consisting of up to 330 segments and are up to 0.95mm wide and 95.7mm long. They are eyeless, have short legs, and cone-shaped heads with antennae and a beak. Named Eumillipes persephone, this millipede has 1,306 legs — more than any other animal. Credit: P. Marek et al., 2021, Scientific Reports Analysis of the relationships between species suggests that E. persephone is distantly related to the previous record holder for the greatest number of legs — the Californian millipede species, Illacme plenipes. The authors suggest that the large number of segments and legs that have evolved in both species may allow them to generate pushing forces that enable them to move through narrow openings in the soil habitats they live in. Credit: P. Marek et al., 2021, Scientific Reports Credit: P. Marek et al., 2021, Scientific Reports Credit: P. Marek et al., 2021, Scientific Reports The findings highlight the biodiversity found within the Eastern Goldfields Province. To minimize the impact of mining in this region on E. persephone, the authors advise that efforts should be made to conserve its underground habitat. Reference: “The first true millipede—1306 legs long” by Paul E. Marek, Bruno A. Buzatto, William A. Shear, Jackson C. Means, Dennis G. Black, Mark S. Harvey and Juanita Rodriguez, 16 December 2021, Scientific Reports. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-02447-0

The new technology correctly identified 99% of confirmed bacterial sepsis cases, 92% of confirmed viral sepsis cases, and predicted sepsis in 74% of clinically suspected but undiagnosed cases. Remarkable accuracy –  a sepsis diagnosis tool combines genetic sequencing with analysis of patients’ immune responses. According to estimates, sepsis—a condition in which the immune system overreacts to an infection—causes 20% of fatalities worldwide and somewhere between 20 and 50% of hospital deaths in the United States each year. Despite its frequency and severity, the condition is challenging to identify and effectively treat. Chaz Langelier, M.D., Ph.D., an associate professor of medicine in UCSF’s Division of Infectious Diseases and a CZ Biohub Investigator, is senior author of a study describing a remarkably accurate diagnostic tool for sepsis. Credit: CZ Biohub The disease can result in reduced blood flow to essential organs, widespread inflammation, and irregular blood clotting. As a result, sepsis may result in shock, organ failure, and death if it is not promptly diagnosed and treated. However, determining which pathogen is causing sepsis or if an infection is present in the bloodstream or elsewhere in the body may be challenging. Additionally, it may be tough to evaluate whether a patient really has an infection in many cases with symptoms that resemble sepsis. Researchers from the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and the University of California, San Francisco have now created a novel diagnostic method that employs machine learning to analyze advanced genomics data from both the host and the pathogen to recognize and predict sepsis cases. The method is reportedly unexpectedly accurate and has the potential to far outperform present diagnostic skills. The researchers’ findings were recently published in the journal Nature Microbiology.  “Sepsis is one of the top 10 public health issues facing humanity,” said senior author Chaz Langelier, M.D., Ph.D., an associate professor of medicine in UCSF’s Division of Infectious Diseases and a CZ Biohub Investigator. “One of the key challenges with sepsis is diagnosis. Existing diagnostic tests are not able to capture the dual-sided nature of the disease – the infection itself and the host’s immune response to the infection.” Current sepsis diagnostics focus on detecting bacteria by growing them in culture, a process that is “essential for appropriate antibiotic therapy, which is critical for sepsis survival,” according to the researchers behind the new method. But culturing these pathogens is time-consuming and doesn’t always correctly identify the bacterium that is causing the infection. Similarly, for viruses, PCR tests can detect that viruses are infecting a patient but don’t always identify the particular virus that’s causing sepsis. “This results in clinicians being unable to identify the cause of sepsis in an estimated 30 to 50% of cases,” Langelier said. “This also leads to a mismatch in terms of the antibiotic treatment and the pathogen causing the problem.” In the absence of a definitive diagnosis, doctors often prescribe a cocktail of antibiotics in an effort to stop the infection, but the overuse of antibiotics has led to increased antibiotic resistance worldwide. “As physicians, we never want to miss a case of infection,” said Carolyn Calfee, M.D., M.A.S., a professor of medicine and anesthesia at UCSF and co-senior author of the new study. “But if we had a test that could help us accurately determine who doesn’t have an infection, then that could help us limit antibiotic use in those cases, which would be really good for all of us.” Eliminating Ambiguity The researchers analyzed whole blood and plasma samples from more than 350 critically ill patients who had been admitted to UCSF Medical Center or the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital between 2010 and 2018. But rather than relying on cultures to identify pathogens in these samples, a team led by CZ Biohub scientists Norma Neff, Ph.D., and Angela Pisco, Ph.D., instead used metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS). This method identifies all the nucleic acids or genetic data present in a sample, then compares those data to reference genomes to identify the microbial organisms present. This technique allows scientists to identify genetic material from entirely different kingdoms of organisms – whether bacteria, viruses, or fungi – that are present in the same sample. However, detecting and identifying the presence of a pathogen alone isn’t enough for accurate sepsis diagnosis, so the Biohub researchers also performed transcriptional profiling – which quantifies gene expression – to capture the patient’s response to infection. Next, they applied machine learning to the mNGS and transcriptional data to distinguish between sepsis and other critical illnesses and thus confirm the diagnosis. Katrina Kalantar, Ph.D., a lead computational biologist at CZI and co-first author of the study, created an integrated host-microbe model trained on data from patients in whom either sepsis or non-infectious systemic inflammatory illnesses had been established, which enabled sepsis diagnosis with very high accuracy. “We developed the model by looking at a bunch of metagenomics data alongside results from traditional clinical tests,” Kalantar explained. To start, the researchers identified changes in gene expression between patients with confirmed sepsis and non-infectious systemic inflammatory conditions that appear clinically similar, then used machine learning to identify the genes that could best predict those changes. The researchers found that when traditional bacterial culture identified a sepsis-causing pathogen, there was usually an overabundance of genetic material from that pathogen in the corresponding plasma sample analyzed by mNGS. With that in mind, Kalantar programmed the model to identify organisms present in disproportionately high abundance compared to other microbes in the sample, and to then compare those to a reference index of well-known sepsis-causing microbes. “In addition to that, we also noted any viruses that were detected, even if they were at lower levels, because those really shouldn’t be there,” Kalantar explained. “With this relatively straightforward set of rules, we were able to do pretty well.” ‘Almost Perfect’ Performance The researchers found that the mNGS method and their corresponding model worked better than expected: They were able to identify 99% of confirmed bacterial sepsis cases, 92% of confirmed viral sepsis cases, and were able to predict sepsis in 74% of clinically suspected cases that hadn’t been definitively diagnosed. “We were expecting good performance, or even great performance, but this was almost perfect,” said Lucile Neyton, Ph.D., a postdoctoral researcher in the Calfee lab and co-first author of the study. “By using this approach, we get a pretty good idea of what is causing the disease, and we know with relatively high confidence if a patient has sepsis or not.” The team was also excited to discover that they could use this combined host-response and microbe detection method to diagnose sepsis using plasma samples, which are routinely collected from most patients as part of standard clinical care. “The fact that you can actually identify sepsis patients from this widely available, easy-to-collect sample type has big implications in terms of practical utility,” Langelier said. The idea for the work stemmed from a previous Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences study by Langelier, Kalantar, Calfee, UCSF researcher and CZ Biohub President Joe DeRisi, Ph.D., and their colleagues, in which they used mNGS to effectively diagnose lower respiratory tract infections in critically ill patients. Because the method worked so well, “we wanted to see if the same type of approach could work in the context of sepsis,” said Kalantar. Broader Implications The team hopes to build upon this successful diagnostic technique by developing a model that can also predict antibiotic resistance from pathogens detected with this method. “We’ve had some success doing that for respiratory infections, but no one has come up with a good approach for sepsis,” Langelier said. Furthermore, the researchers hope to eventually be able to predict outcomes of patients with sepsis, “such as mortality or length of stay in the hospital, which would provide key information that would allow clinicians to better care for their patients and match resources to the patients who need them the most,” Langelier said. “There’s a lot of potential for novel sequencing approaches such as this to help us more precisely identify the causes of a patient’s critical illness,” added Calfee. “If we can do that, it’s the first step towards precision medicine and understanding what’s going on at an individual patient level.” References: “Integrated host-microbe plasma metagenomics for sepsis diagnosis in a prospective cohort of critically ill adults” by Katrina L. Kalantar, Lucile Neyton, Mazin Abdelghany, Eran Mick, Alejandra Jauregui, Saharai Caldera, Paula Hayakawa Serpa, Rajani Ghale, Jack Albright, Aartik Sarma, Alexandra Tsitsiklis, Aleksandra Leligdowicz, Stephanie A. Christenson, Kathleen Liu, Kirsten N. Kangelaris, Carolyn Hendrickson, Pratik Sinha, Antonio Gomez, Norma Neff, Angela Pisco, Sarah B. Doernberg, Joseph L. Derisi, Michael A. Matthay, Carolyn S. Calfee and Charles R. Langelier, 20 October 2022, Nature Microbiology. DOI: 10.1038/s41564-022-01237-2 “Integrating host response and unbiased microbe detection for lower respiratory tract infection diagnosis in critically ill adults” by Charles Langelier, Katrina L. Kalantar, Farzad Moazed, Michael R. Wilson, Emily D. Crawford, Thomas Deiss, Annika Belzer, Samaneh Bolourchi, Saharai Caldera, Monica Fung, Alejandra Jauregui, Katherine Malcolm, Amy Lyden, Lillian Khan, Kathryn Vessel, Jenai Quan, Matt Zinter, Charles Y. Chiu, Eric D. Chow, Jenny Wilson, Steve Miller, Michael A. Matthay, Katherine S. Pollard, Stephanie Christenson, Carolyn S. Calfee and Joseph L. DeRisi, 27 November 2018, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1809700115 The study was funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub.

Under stress, the amygdala in mice brains releases the body’s own cannabinoid molecules, reducing stress signals from the hippocampus, according to a Northwestern Medicine study. This study suggests a possible link between impaired cannabinoid signaling in the brain and an increased risk of stress-related psychiatric disorders, like depression and PTSD. Researchers Uncover How Stress Triggers the Same Receptors As THC During stressful situations, your brain might produce its own cannabinoid substances, functioning to soothe you by stimulating the same receptors in the brain that THC from cannabis plants does. However, the neural networks and patterns of brain activity regulated by these endogenous cannabinoids were not well known. A new Northwestern Medicine study in mice has discovered that a key emotional brain center, the amygdala, releases endogenous (the body’s own) cannabinoid molecules under stress, and these molecules dampen the incoming stress alarm from the hippocampus, a memory and emotion center in the brain. These results provide more support for the hypothesis that these endogenous cannabinoid molecules are a body’s natural coping response to stress. The Link Between Stress and Psychiatric Disorders Stress exposure heightens the risk for the development or worsening of psychiatric disorders from generalized anxiety and major depression to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). “Understanding how the brain adapts to stress at the molecular, cellular, and circuit level could provide critical insight into how stress is translated into mood disorders and may reveal novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of stress-related disorders,” said corresponding study author Dr. Sachi Patel, chair of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a Northwestern Medicine psychiatrist. The study could indicate that impairments in this endogenous cannabinoid signaling system in the brain could lead to a greater susceptibility to developing stress-related psychiatric disorders including depression and PTSD, although this remains to be determined in humans, Patel said. The study will be published Sept. 12 in Cell Reports.  For the study, Northwestern scientists used a new protein sensor that can detect the presence of these cannabinoid molecules at specific brain synapses in real time to show that specific high-frequency patterns of amygdala activity can generate these molecules. The sensor also showed that these molecules were released as a result of several different types of stress in mice. The Effects of Blocking Cannabinoid Receptors When scientists removed the target of these cannabinoids, the cannabinoid receptor type 1, it resulted in a poorer ability to cope with stress and motivational deficits in the mice. Specifically, when the receptor target of these endogenous cannabinoids was removed at hippocampal-amygdala synapses, mice adopted more passive and immobile responses to stress and had a lower preference to drink sweetened sucrose water after stress exposure. The latter finding may relate to anhedonia, or the decrease in pleasure, often experienced by patients with stress-related disorders such as depression and PTSD. One of the leading signaling systems that has been identified as a prominent drug-development candidate for stress-related psychiatric disorders is the endocannabinoid system, Patel said. “Determining whether increasing levels of endogenous cannabinoids can be used as potential therapeutics for stress-related disorders is the next logical step from this study and our previous work,” said Patel, also the Lizzie Gilman Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. “There are ongoing clinical trials in this area that may be able to answer this question in the near future.” Reference: “Endocannabinoid release at ventral hippocampal-amygdala synapses regulates stress-induced behavioral adaptation” by Veronika Kondev, Mustafa Najeed, Farhana Yasmin, Amanda Morgan, Niharika Loomba, Keenan Johnson, Danielle N. Adank, Ao Dong, Eric Delpire, Yulong Li, Danny Winder, Brad A. Grueter and Sachin Patel, 12 September 2023, Cell Reports. DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113027 The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health.

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