1.
Engineering probiotics as living diagnostics and therapeutics for improving human health.
Zhou, Z, Chen, X, Sheng, H, Shen, X, Sun, X, Yan, Y, Wang, J, Yuan, Q
Microbial cell factories. 2020;(1):56
Abstract
The gut microbiota that inhabit our gastrointestinal tract are well known to play an important role in maintaining human health in many aspects, including facilitating the digestion and absorption of nutrients, protecting against pathogens and regulating immune system. Gut microbiota dysbiosis is associated with a lot of diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease, allergy, obesity, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases and cancers. With the increasing knowledge of the microbiome, utilization of probiotic bacteria in modulating gut microbiota to prevent and treat a large number of disorders and diseases has gained much interest. In recent years, aided by the continuous development of tools and techniques, engineering probiotic microbes with desired characteristics and functionalities to benefit human health has made significant progress. In this paper, we summarize the recent advances in design and construction of probiotics as living diagnostics and therapeutics for probing and treating a series of diseases including metabolic disorders, inflammation and pathogenic bacteria infections. We also discuss the current challenges and future perspectives in expanding the application of probiotics for disease treatment and detection. We intend to provide insights and ideas for engineering of probiotics to better serve disease therapy and human health.
2.
[Effect of perioperative intestinal probiotics on intestinal flora and immune function in patients with colorectal cancer].
Zhu, D, Chen, X, Wu, J, Ju, Y, Feng, J, Lu, G, Ouyang, M, Ren, B, Li, Y
Nan fang yi ke da xue xue bao = Journal of Southern Medical University. 2012;(8):1190-3
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of perioperative application of intestinal probiotics to substitute oral intestinal antimicrobial agents on intestinal flora and immune function in surgical patients with colorectal cancer. METHODS Sixty patients with colorectal cancer undergoing elective laparoscopic radical surgery were randomized to receive preoperative bowel preparation using oral intestinal antimicrobial agents (n=20) or using oral intestinal probiotics (Jinshuangqi Tablets, 2.0 g, 3 times daily) since the fifth day before the operation and at 24 h after the operation for 7 consecutive days. Upon admission and 7 days after the operation, fecal samples and fasting peripheral venous blood were collected from the patients to examine the intestinal flora and serum levels of interleukin-2 (IL-2), IgA, IgG, and IgM, NK cell activity, T lymphocytes subsets CD3(+), CD4(+), CD8(+) and CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratio. RESULTS At 7 days after the operation, the patients receiving probiotics showed significantly increased counts of intestinal Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Enterococcus (P<0.05) and significantly lowered counts of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus (P<0.05). The serum levels of IL-2, IgA, IgG and IgM as well as CD4(+) cell percentage all increased significantly in probiotics group compared with those in patients with conventional intestinal preparation (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Perioperative application of intestinal probiotics to replace preoperative oral intestinal antimicrobial agents can effectively correct intestinal flora imbalance and improve the immune function of surgical patients with colorectal cancer.