Instead of injections and pills, why not engineer bacteria to secrete therapeutic molecules from your gut? It shows how an anti-inflammatory molecule can be produced and effectively treated for rheumatoid arthritis in rats.
“People don’t like to get injections for the rest of their lives,” said Baylor College of Medicine co-author Christine Beaton. reuteri bacteria As a novel oral drug delivery platform for treating rheumatoid arthritis in animal models. “
New research focused on manipulating strains of reuteri bacteria It has previously been established to be a safe probiotic for humans. Additionally, according to Beaton, the gut is not known to be colonized by bacteria, so the effects on patients will only be temporary.
“Another reason we chose L. Reuteri It means that these bacteria don’t stay in the gut forever,” Beaton added. “
Researchers engineered bacteria to secrete a peptide called ShK-235, an analogue of a peptide extracted from Caribbean sea anemones. Over the past decade, this molecule has been closely studied for its anti-inflammatory properties. In particular, it has been found to block activation of certain immune cells involved in diseases such as psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and multiple sclerosis.
In its synthetic therapeutic form, the drug was named dalazatide. Ongoing late-stage clinical trials have shown promise for the drug to safely and effectively treat psoriasis and lupus in humans, but it is not yet approved for clinical use.
In this study, researchers tested engineered peptide-secreting bacteria in an animal model of rheumatoid arthritis. These preliminary experiments found that daily doses of probiotics reduced disease symptoms and joint inflammation in rats.
Experiments also revealed that the probiotic consistently successfully released therapeutic levels of ShK-235 into the animals’ bloodstream. Therefore, daily probiotic tablets may be an effective way to deliver certain medications that could previously only be administered by injection or intravenous infusion.
“These bacteria can be stored in capsules that can be stored on the kitchen counter,” Beaton added. Treatment can be continued without the inconvenience of daily injections.”
While this study is certainly a very advanced investigation into the idea of genetically manipulating bacteria for therapeutic purposes, it is not the first time this futuristic concept has been explored.Last year, researchers announced a new strain of human probiotic coli nissle It had been modified to synthesize a Parkinson’s drug called L-DOPA.
Of course, I don’t think genetically engineered therapeutic probiotic bacteria will be prescribed by doctors anytime soon. There is a way.
The idea is nonetheless fascinating. After all, we know that the bacteria that live in our gut are constantly secreting metabolites that affect our health and well-being, so we proactively channel that bacteria to meet our metabolic needs. It’s not a big leap to start operating.
A new study was published in a journal PNAS.
Source: Baylor College of Medicine
