Free Republic

Administration of Helicobacter pylori DNA reduces symptoms, new research reveals pathway for future treatmentsANN ARBOR, Mich. — DNA from Helicobacter pylori, a common stomach bacteria, minimizes the effects of colitis in mice, according to a new study by University of Michigan Medical School scientists. The study published in Gut this month was performed by a team of investigators assembled by senior author John Y. Kao, M.D. of the University of Michigan's Division of Gastroenterology and assistant professor in U-M's Department of Internal Medicine. The findings indicate that DNA from H. pylori significantly ameliorates the severity of colitis, say lead authors...

An engineered bacterium can deliver a therapeutic protein straight to the gut when fed with xylan.Could genetically-engineered bacteria help to banish gastrointestinal woes?Punchstock A gut-dwelling bacterium has been genetically engineered to deliver a dose of therapeutic protein on demand.Protein production in the engineered bacterium is switched on only when its host eats the complex sugar xylan. Tests on mice that had colonies of the bacteria in their guts showed that the expressed protein can successfully treat an inflammatory bowel disease called colitis.The research, to be published in the journal Gut1, has potential as an alternative method for delivering drugs to...