Live Biotherapeutics Drug Discovery Services for Infectious Diseases
Overview
Maintenance and possibly restoration of the human microbiome is considered an important aspect of resilience in humans and animals, preventing many infectious and inflammatory diseases. In clinical trials, probiotics are effective against infectious diseases, with benefits for both intestinal and extraintestinal health. Some of the effects that probiotics can have by altering the human gut microbiota include increased antiviral activity after vaccination and the prevention and/or treatment of respiratory and genitourinary tract infections by inhibiting bacterial adhesion and increasing mucosal barrier function. Several lines of evidence have suggested that probiotic agents, as an alternative form of treatment or prevention of infectious diseases, pose much fewer side effects than typical medicinal therapies. For the application of probiotics to the treatment or prevention of urogenital and gastrointestinal tract infections, in addition to outstanding antibacterial capacity, the most essential characteristic probiotics must have in this respect is dominant colonization ability. Probiotics may serve as a promising intervention targeting infectious diseases. Some of the more studied types of infectious diseases associated with probiotics include:
Probiotics for Infectious Diseases
Probiotics and recombinant probiotic strains provide a promising molecular source for the development of novel anti-infective therapies. Probiotics that have been successful against infectious diseases mainly include the most studied Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli, as well as other Gram (+) bacteria such as Streptococcus, Bacillus, Propionibacterium, and Clostridium. In addition, to the best of our knowledge, the only Gram-negative bacteria that is effective in clinical trials is E. coli Nissle 1917. Of note, many clinical trials have investigated probiotics as a supplement to conventional therapies against infectious diseases, such as antibiotics and antifungals. Much research has supported the idea that probiotics, especially Lactobacillus spp., are highly promising and safe as a prophylaxis for infectious diseases, while the effectiveness of Bifidobacterium spp. seems to be limited to GI disorders.
An attractive therapeutic approach is the identification of molecules with anti-infective properties generated by specific strains. Recombinant probiotic strain represents a potentially promising source of such molecules. Several groups have successfully used genetically modified probiotics which produced and delivered anti-inflammatory cytokines, antimicrobial peptides, or vaccines at the mucosa of the colon and keep probiotic benefits.
Mechanisms
Probiotic therapy utilizes bacterial interference and immune regulation to control several infections, inflammations, and immune diseases. Several mechanisms underlying the action of probiotics against pathogens have been identified to support their use in infectious diseases. The mode of action can be classified as direct or indirect. One direct way of action is the competition for the same niche growth. Certain probiotics have a direct antagonistic activity by secreting antimicrobial toxins or defensins. Indirect mechanisms of action of probiotics comprise the enhancement of mucosal defenses, including the thickness of the adherent mucus layer and activation of the innate immune system.
Creative Biolabs is focused on the development of live biotherapeutics drugs, has extensive experience in probiotic research, and also has a rich variety of probiotic strain product resources, including traditional and next-generation probiotics, both anaerobic and aerobic, that can meet the needs of preclinical studies in multiple therapeutic areas. If you are interested in our products and services, please do not hesitate to contact us.
For Research Use Only. Not intended for use in food manufacturing or medical procedures (diagnostics or therapeutics). Do Not Use in Humans.
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