A probiotic therapy for weight problems? | VUMC Reporter

by Leigh MacMillan

Alterations within the intestine microbiota — the microorganisms residing within the gastrointestinal tract — have been implicated within the growth of weight problems and different continual ailments.

Sean Davies, PhD, and colleagues beforehand reported a method for engineering intestine microbiota to supply useful compounds that fight weight problems. They confirmed that administration of micro organism engineered to supply NAPEs, a household of bioactive lipids with identified anti-obesity properties, inhibited weight acquire and different hostile results of a high-fat food regimen in mice. Of their earlier research, they pre-treated the mice with antibiotics and administered the engineered micro organism for eight weeks.

Now, they’ve discovered that much less onerous protocols — no antibiotics and solely two weeks of micro organism — nonetheless impart resistance to diet-induced weight problems and sustained NAPE biosynthesis. As well as, that they had success utilizing a human NAPE-producing enzyme.

The findings, reported in Utilized Microbiology and Biotechnology, help additional research of engineered micro organism that produce useful compounds as a therapy technique for weight problems and different continual ailments.

This analysis was supported partly by the Nationwide Institutes of Well being (grants AT007830, DK059637).