The “living glue” utilized by crustaceans to adhere to submerged structures also possesses the capability to mend intestinal lesions caused by inflammatory bowel conditions. A recent study detailing these findings was featured in the journal Nature Biotechnology.
Researchers keen on alleviating the suffering of individuals afflicted with inflammatory bowel diseases turned their attention to an unexpected source of inspiration: crustaceans.
Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD), encompassing conditions such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, appear to arise when the human immune system mounts an attack on the gut, leading to inflammation. The primary manifestations typically include diarrhea, significant abdominal discomfort, weight diminution, and rectal bleeding.
Anti-inflammatory medications, like steroids, offer symptom relief. However, in instances where bleeding persists, clinicians may resort to employing small metallic clips, introduced into the intestine via the anus, to secure the breaches instigated by the inflammation. Nevertheless, this intervention carries risks of infection and can potentially exacerbate the wound condition.
In the pursuit of a gentler therapeutic strategy, scientists had previously genetically engineered bacteria to synthesize substances that promote wound healing. However, such microbes generally exit the digestive tract within a few days and require deliberate activation through medication, according to Bolin An of the Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology in China.
Now, An and his associates have genetically modified a benign strain of Escherichia coli bacteria to generate a protein segment that encourages wound repair upon detecting blood. Crucially, these bacteria also fabricate specific kinds of “cementing proteins” that crustaceans employ to anchor themselves to submerged surfaces. Based on laboratory observations, the team hypothesized that these proteins would act as an anti-inflammatory sealant for bleeding sites, thus coining the term “living glue.”
To test this, the investigators induced IBD-like troubles in mice using a toxic chemical agent, resulting in intestinal inflammation and damage that led to weight loss. Each mouse subsequently received either a single dose of unmodified, innocuous E. coli, the genetically modified E. coli, or a saline solution. All substances were administered into the gut through a tube passed via the anal opening.
After a span of ten days, the mice treated with the modified bacteria, which remained present in their intestines, regained the majority of their lost body mass. Distinctly from the other two cohorts, their intestinal tissue even resembled that of healthy mice. No indicators of adverse effects were noted in any of the animals.
The team observed comparable outcomes when the bacteria were administered to mice via an oral capsule, suggesting this methodology could potentially be used for human application through pills in the future. “This is certainly a promising and novel approach,” comments Shaji Sebastian from the University of Hull in the UK. He adds that wound healing and intestinal inflammation in mice bear considerable likeness to human scenarios, although human trials remain a necessity.
The scientists now intend to evaluate this method in larger animals, including pigs, partially to ascertain the duration these engineered bacteria can persist within the digestive system, An explains. But Sebastian cautions that clinical applications might be a decade away, as extensive testing is required to prove not only its efficacy but also its superiority over current human treatments.
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