Probiotics: Biofilm Formulation Protects The Intestines and Brain

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a deadly, debilitating disease that affects premature babies, causing inflamed intestinal tissue and even ischemia and necrosis of related tissue in severe cases. Children who manage to live to adulthood can face several lifelong challenges, like neurodevelopmental delays and short-gut syndrome. Oftentimes, NEC treatment involves surgical removal of the dying tissue.

Working to create a novel preventative solution, principal research investigators at Nationwide Children’s Center for Microbial Pathogenesis developed a probiotic system employing the durability of biofilm to improve probiotic administration to neonate patients. Hoping to demonstrate their model’s efficacy in an animal similar to humans, a piglet model of NEC was adapted to the study, providing the same care given to premature infants in terms of the medication and fluids, nasogastric tube feedings, and monitoring done and given. Overall, the data from the piglet model supported those of the initial rodent model, and the findings demonstrated that the Lr’s (Limosilactobacillus reuteri) biofilm protected both the brain and intestines from NEC, preventing the associated morbidity and mortality. 

Considering the severity of a child’s condition after developing NEC, it was interesting to learn about how bacterial biofilms (often having a negative connotation) could be applied to life-saving treatments to protect newborns. By using this piglet model, as well, we can better understand the safety issues associated with this biofilm formulation and provide a better foundation for researching neonatal risk for certain diseases. Potentially, a clinical trial may even be possible in the foreseeable future thanks to this model.

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Oxygen - The New Antibiotic

Along with being antibiotic resistant, bacteria have also adopted sleep as a form of survival. By using toxin antitoxin systems, bacteria can become dormant to resist antibiotic attacks and awaken as soon as their environment permits. These systems, also referred to as biofilm, are responsible for 80% of infections and are often the reason bacteria are referred to as antibiotic resistant.

Earlier this month, Thomas K. Wood and his colleagues analyzed the first known toxin antitoxin system produced by E. coli in a biofilm. It is most unique because it is also the first system found to be dependent upon oxygen. The research conducted revealed that the antitoxin structure produced by the bacteria had passageways big enough to allow oxygen to flow through it. Toxin Hha and antitoxin TomB need oxygen to work. TomB, in conjunction with oxygen, oxidize Hha to wake up dormant bacteria after being stressed.

The research also reveals that only 10% oxygen is enough to awaken the bacteria, and using the oxygen passageways, an entire colony of bacteria can be manipulated into breaking up and dispersing biofilm so an actual antibiotic may be able to attack the active bacteria.

Although interesting, I did not entirely understand how this information can be applied into a human bacterial infection. Normal blood oxygen levels can be anywhere from 95-100%, so how would this knowledge be applied when prescribing an antibiotic treatment? It probably is more useful as prophylactic, to prevent biofilms from forming in the body all together to prevent bacteria from going dormant in order to cure an infection faster.

Image taken from http://news.psu.edu/photo/441070/2016/12/08/toxin-antitoxin-002

A Way to End Biofilm Production in Bacterium

An article in ScienceDaily sheds some light on certain bacterial secretions. Bacteria protect themselves by secreting a slimy layer that we know as a biofilm. It is basically a whole strain of bacteria packed tightly to protect themselves from attack.  Biofilms have been known to cause many health issues especially on medical implants. They also cause a threat in ocean pollution due to their tendency to coat the outside of ships and boats. This article talks about a new technique that regulates the formation of biofilm by a molecular switch. SinR is known as the biofilm formation regulator protein in Bacillus subtilis. When SinR is bound to DNA, the proteins that are required to make biofilm are turned off. By the application of X-ray crystallography, it has been determined how SinR interacts with very specific DNA targets.

[caption id="attachment_8293" align="aligncenter" width="665" caption="SEM imaging depicting the interaction of the cells of a mouse after exposure to biofilms"][/caption]

I think this is an astounding discovery. I am currently doing research in science about biofilms. I can genuinely see the importance of research in these fields. By knowing how SinR interacts with DNA and other proteins scientists would be able to interject molecules that can interfere with the process. This would stop biofilms from being produces. I also believe this would be a huge break through in the antibiotic field as well as an act against antibiotic-resistant bacterium.