Scientists have found that diabetes can be treated with healthy stools

Who daily stool can treat diseases? Researchers at the University of California-San Diego, USA, have succeeded in halting the development of diabetes in mice using microorganisms grown in animals. Engineered Escherichia coli bacteria were obtained from stool samples.

“We know that E. coli bacteria can take disease-causing genes and cause disease, and we now realize that if we put in a beneficial gene, it could help us treat chronic diseases, and perhaps even cure some,” said Zarinbar, the author of the paper. Article published this month in Cell Journal.

Technology that uses healthy stool particles could eliminate the need for insulin injections to human patients in the near future.

how did they get

The team, led by Professor Amir Zarinbar, collected E. coli from human and rat gut microbes – and added a protein called BSH (bile salt hydrolase). This made them more potent, prolonging their stay in the hostile intestinal environment long enough to cure the disease.

Professor BSH likened a superhero: “We say to bacteria: ‘Hey, we’re going to give you a new superpower, you might not even benefit from it, but we’re going to bring you back to the environment in which you thrive.'”

It has succeeded! After a single treatment in mice, Escherichia coli was found throughout the intestine, with activity continuing throughout the life of the host. He was able to positively influence the development of diabetes in rodents.

It is a significant improvement over similar treatments with non-native laboratory strains of engineered bacteria, where more than one treatment is often required. And they don’t stay in the host’s gut for nearly as long or persistently as the original E. coli method identified by the professor. Zarinbar and colleagues.

In addition to the successful effect on diabetes in mice, the group was also able to perform a similar modification of E. coli extracted from the human intestine. Zarinbar called the results “substantial”, but there was more work to be done.

engineered bacteria

“The bacteria in our bodies are tailored to each one of us: the type of food we eat, the common stresses our body experiences or triggers, and our genetic background.” Prof. explained. Explodes .

They engineered these bacteria to become factories that can live in our microbiome and potentially make medicines.

Engineering the indigenous bacteria brings another set of challenges because they are so resistant to modification; It’s part of your innate defense mechanism.

In a proof-of-concept study, the data indicated that the success rate of introducing the gene into a native bacterium is about 100 times lower than doing so using laboratory strains. But researchers are simplifying the process.

“There are many new genetic engineering tools now available that will allow us to engineer these bacteria more efficiently,” Zarinbar added.

The group plans to use this technology to find ways to treat more diseases.

“This technology is something that could open up the application of microbiome therapy to impact many different chronic and genetic diseases.”

Source: SóNoticiaBoa