Coming soon: GMO-bacteria in pills
Escherichia coli (E. coli). Illustration: Chris Bickel / Science Magazine
American startup Synlogic, founded jointly with professors at MIT, is ready to bring to market a new class of medicines. It is called "synthetic bacteria" and "live therapy." Capsules for oral application contain live bacteria colony. Once in the intestine, they begin to useful activity. The task - to remove certain metabolic abnormalities that are the result of diseases and rare genetic disorders.
The human body is constantly live trillions of different bacteria that have a symbiotic relationship with us. The number of microbes more than an order of magnitude greater than the number of human cells in the body. The total mass of the intestinal microflora - 1 to 3 kg. we just can not survive without these symbionts.
All of them are collectively called the human microbiota. Human intestinal microflora is comprised of more than 500 species, most of which - the bacteria, such as E. coli. Other members of the microflora - microscopic fungi, including yeasts, and protozoa. Only one cubic centimeter of human saliva contains from ten million to a billion bacteria.
The study of intestinal microflora - one of the most promising areas of modern science. In recent years, scientific studies have shown that the microbiota is a complex ecosystem, which has a major impact on human health, including their physical and mental state. A man can be considered as a "superorganism". microbial community manages human body programming metabolism in the body by enzymes that are encoded by the genome of bacteria.
The scientists are forced to admit that they are unable to traditional methods to give a complete qualitative and quantitative characterization of microbiocenoses the human body, and especially to analyze the interactions of population of microorganisms, microbial "signal systems" and to determine other characteristics of the microflora. This is due to the practical impossibility of culture more than 50% of representatives of human microflora.
For the analysis of microbiota developed radically new ways and methods of Microbiology, especially molecular genetic methods using genetic platforms for metagenomic studies.
Startup Synlogic working in this innovative direction, studying the flora and trying on her somehow influence to indirectly adjust the human metabolism. For example, synthetic bacteria can eliminate the excess of ammonia in the body. The first clinical trials of the experimental drug Synlogic scheduled for early 2017.
Synthetic bacterium to remove excess ammonia - only the first feeler programmable in a new class of bacteria which are intended for the treatment of various diseases. Research in this area are more than 15 years, and the bacteria Synlogic capsules - one of the first specific medications that may be approved for medical use. Currently under consideration by the Office of the US Food and Drug Administration is from 8 to 10 genetically modified microorganisms.
The basic idea is to genetically correct the bacterium E. coli, normal E. coli, which is present in large quantities in the body. Genetically modified bacterium has a special appetite for harmful ammonia, which is constantly produced in all tissues and organs of the body, and is particularly active - in the liver, intestine, muscle and nerve tissues. This is an extremely toxic compound that is necessary to bind (neutralize) and withdraw from the body.
Typically, ammonia discharged through urine, but the body of some people are not able to bind and remove it quickly enough. Because of this, the body glows quite high and toxic levels of ammonia. To the extent that the person becomes irritable, falls into delirium, and the newborn is a violation of metabolism can cause even death. Synthetic gut bacteria helps to convert ammonia into harmless arginine.
By compounding Synlogic, a man for the normalization of metabolism of ammonia in the body will take quite enough daily one capsule formulation, which contains 100 billion bacteria genetically modified E. coli.
Biotechnological startup has already received about $ 70 million in venture funding. Independent experts believe that this is a very promising area of pharmacology. For example, another startup Ernest Pharmaceuticals experimenting with the treatment of malignant tumors using genetically modified Salmonella. This particular bacterium that has the ability to accumulate in cancerous tumors. Scientists are trying to use this property salmonella. Designed their body has to secrete the anti-cancer drug when gets into the cancer cells.
Clinical trials have verified that GMO-coli bacteria are harmless to the body and do not exchange genes with normal human bacterial flora. The engineers made sure that the division of the synthetic organism requires a specific substance - thymidine, which is very little in the human intestine. This ensures that the GMO bacteria leave no offspring.
Perhaps a few years later on the shelves of pharmacies, we will see a lot of different bacteria with gene modifications. Generally, such GMOs are used not only in medicine. For example, recently reported the development mikrooranizma which synthesizes glucose from morphine, so that the future promises to be interesting.
According to experts, the US pharmaceutical market of synthetic bacteria - medicinal pills and yogurt with live bacteria - is $ 3.5 billion.
Referenced Materials:
- http://www.ernestpharma.com/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_microbiota
- http://www.metagenome.ru/en/microbiota
- http://www.synlogictx.com/news/press-releases/synlogic-expands-leadership-team-support-rapid-advancement-first-synthetic-biotic-towards-clinic/
- https://www.technologyreview.com/s/602724/companies-bet-on-designer-bacteria-as-new-way-to-treat-disease/
- http://www.synlogictx.com/
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