'Bugs to drugs' program promises radical new therapies

New technologies that 'mine' the gut for bacteria have revealed that microbes contained in the bowel have such a wide variety of functions they are equivalent to a newly discovered body organ, according to a key speaker at the 2nd Tri-Nations Meeting in Gastroenterology, Professor Fergus Shanahan.

The meeting in Mauritius from 20-26 March will bring together leading gastroenterologists from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa who will hear that the development of new biological agents from gut bacteria to fight diseases such as cancer and inflammatory bowel disease, will challenge current definitions of pharmacologic therapy.

Professor Shanahan, who is Professor of Medicine and Director of the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre at the University College Cork, National University of Ireland, says that pharmabiotic programs focus on the development of "bugs to drugs" where powerful properties of bacteria in the bowel are harnessed for beneficial effect in humans and animals.

"We already know that certain probiotic organisms have a therapeutic benefit in conditions such as acute diarrhoea and irritable bowel syndrome," he says. "Chemicals produced by some microbes have also been shown to inhibit the growth of certain other bacteria which holds promise for the development of new generation antibiotics.

"More recent research has shown that some bacteria produce signals that modify the immune system which may have a therapeutic benefit in inflammatory conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease."

Professor Shanahan says that among the more than 400 species of bacteria in the bowel, some are capable of producing nutrients that protect against atherosclerosis. Others affect fat deposition which may influence the risk of obesity.

"There are probably others that will have an anticancer effect," he says. "Recent evidence also shows that some bacteria can produce pain-relieving substances."

There are more bacteria in the gut than human cells in the body and more bacterial genes in the human gut than in the entire human genome! In total, intestinal bacteria account for about 1-2 kg in weight and are tantamount to a hidden inner organ almost the size of a football.

Probiotic preparations which are made from gut bacteria are commonly available in food and tablet form but Professor Shanahan warns that many claims for their efficacy are overstated and unsubstantiated.

"Controlled clinical trials are needed to determine how most of them work and how effective they are," he says.

"The best evidence so far for probiotic efficacy is protection against infections in the gut - particularly those that cause acute diarrhoea - and irritable bowel syndrome.

"Although probiotic preparations appear relatively safe and may be unlikely to cause side effects, consumers should only purchase products that are from reputable companies and ask what the scientific evidence is for the claims made."

END

Contact:

Felicity Moffatt
Health Communications Australia
+ 61 418 677701

Kate McEvoy
Health Communications Australia
+ 61 424 649 148