Evaluation of the biosafety of recombinant lactic acid bacteria designed to prevent and to treat colitis

A. DE MORENO DE LEBLANC; S. DEL CARMEN; JM. CHATEL; V. AZEVEDO; L. BERMUDEZ-HUMARAN; P. LANGELLA; J.G. LEBLANC

JOURNAL OF MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY

SOC GENERAL MICROBIOLOGY

Lugar: London; Año: 2016 vol. 65 p. 1038 - 1046

0022-2615

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases or IBD affect the gastrointestinal tract and are characterizedby recurrent inflammation that requires lifelong therapies. Probiotics such as lactic acidbacteria (LAB) have been proposed to complement current treatment protocols for thesepatients; however, their characteristics are strain dependent. In this regard certain novelcharacteristics are only possible through the genetic modification of these beneficialmicroorganisms. Different delivery systems, such as protein delivery of anti-oxidantenzymes and anti-inflammatory cytokines, have been shown to be effective for preventingand treating IBD in animal models. In this study, the safety of the recombinant LAB(recLAB) Streptococcus thermophilus CRL807:CAT, S. thermophilus CRL807: SOD,Lactococcus lactis NCDO2118 pXILCYT:IL-10, L. lactis MG1363 pValac:IL-10 and L.lactis MG1363 pGroESL:IL-10 with proven beneficial effects were compared to theirprogenitor strains S. thermophilus CRL807, L. lactis NCDO2118 or L. lactis MG1363. Theprolonged administration of these genetically modified strains showed that they were just assafe as the native strains from which they derive, as demonstrated by normal animal growthand relative organ weights, absence of microbial translocation from the gastrointestinaltract, normal blood parameters and intestinal histology. The results show the potential useof these recLAB in future therapeutic formulations; however, the use of modern bio42Containment systems is required for the future acceptance of these recLAB by the medicalcommunity and patients suffering IBD.