{"id":5889,"date":"2025-06-24T09:11:41","date_gmt":"2025-06-24T03:41:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/babrone.avfu.ac.in\/blog\/?p=5889"},"modified":"2025-09-19T10:10:31","modified_gmt":"2025-09-19T04:40:31","slug":"research-highlights33th-issue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/babrone.avfu.ac.in\/blog\/?p=5889","title":{"rendered":"Research Highlights (33rd Issue)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Engineered bacteria are ready to deliver antiviral drugs and vaccines orally<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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The commensal bacteria and probiotics help in digestion and immune response modulation. Probiotics have also shown great promise in avoiding bacterial and viral illnesses, such as sepsis and gastroenteritis, and in lowering the incidence and severity of a number of viral respiratory tract diseases. Novel antiviral treatments and vaccines are required in light of the advent of novel viral infections. Conventional methods, such as vaccinations and monoclonal antibodies, are frequently hampered by resistance, poor efficacy, and exorbitant prices. The research on bacteria and probiotics that have been engineered for drug delivery, especially for immunotherapy, has gained momentum in the current scientific scenario. In this regard, researchers from the University of Cincinnati reported the use of engineered bacteria as an oral delivery system for antiviral agents and vaccines.  In their experiment, they used Escherichia coli<\/em> Nissle 1917 (EcN) to create an engineered probiotic-based antiviral platform that may be taken orally to provide systemic and mucosal immunity. The EcN was designed to express the Spike-Receptor Binding Domain on its surface or to exhibit anti-spike nanobodies. According to their findings, EcN expressing nanobodies could successfully prevent the spike protein-expressing pseudoviruses from interacting with the ACE2 receptor. Additionally, they observed that outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) helped the translocation of nanobodies to distant organs. The oral delivery of EcN producing spike proteins could prevent the pseudovirus-ACE2 interaction by eliciting the production of IgG and IgA antibodies. The EcN platform could be customized to express other viral surface proteins or neutralizing nanobodies, and can act as biotherapeutics against a variety of emerging pathogens such as the influenza virus, the respiratory syncytial virus, and other cryptic pathogens.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sources<\/em><\/strong>:<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. Kamble, N. S., et al. Engineered bacteria as an orally administered anti-viral treatment and immunization system. Gut Microbes (2025). <\/em>https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/19490976.2025.2500056<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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    1. University of Cincinnati. (2025, May 21). Engineered bacteria can deliver antiviral therapies, vaccines. ScienceDaily. Retrieved June 11, 2025, from sciencedaily.com\/releases\/2025\/05\/250521124626.htm<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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      Discovery of PFAS-eating bacteria in the soil of Veneto <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are present in a variety of items, including detergents, kitchenware, cosmetics, food packaging, etc., and it is a common environmental pollutant that do not degrade easily, which is a threat to human and planetary health. Because of its mobility, durability, and related harmful impacts, PFAS pose a serious environmental threat. The strong carbon-fluorine chemical bond makes it challenging for PFAS to biodegrade in the environment, which is why they are referred to as \u201cforever chemicals\u201d.  In order to address this issue, scientists from the Catholic University, Piacenza, in collaboration with the University of Padua, isolated and identified nearly 20 species of bacteria from the soil of Veneto contaminated with PFAS, which can break down PFAS and use them as a source of energy. Samples from PFAS-contaminated sites were used to isolate and identify the promising microorganisms capable of degrading PFAS by employing classical microbiology techniques and modern sequencing technologies. The identified bacteria that are capable of degrading PFAS fall into the genera Micrococcus, Rhodanobacter, Pseudoxanthomonas, <\/em>and Achromobacter. <\/em>These bacteria can be easily grown in laboratory conditions and are non-pathogenic to humans. The findings of this study will be beneficial in the development of sustainable bioremediation techniques to decontaminate environments caused by PFAS or other similar pollutants.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Sources<\/em><\/strong>:<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

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      1. https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2025-06-pfas-bacteria-veneto-soil.html<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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        Why are bats resistant to deadly viruses? The mystery of bat immunity<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

        The ability of bats to host and tolerate viruses that are extremely lethal to humans and non-human primates is a unique trait. Bats\u2019 remarkable immunity may have a genetic foundation, according to findings from comparative genomic research. Viruses of pandemic concern, such as MERS, SARS, Nipah, etc., can infect bats without causing disease. Since the mechanisms behind their remarkable resistance to viral infections are still mostly unknown, research models that are both physiologically and genetically relevant must be generated.  Peripheral immune responses in infected bats or immortalized cell lines were the main focus of earlier research on bat antiviral immunity, which has yielded important insights into their immune defense systems. The mucosal surfaces are the main points of entry for viruses, and they act as the first line of antiviral defense against both local and systemic infections. However, the mucosal surface immunity of bats has not been focused on to date. Hence, an international research team has investigated to understand the antiviral defense mechanisms of the mucosal epithelial tissues of bats. In the study, the expert team has created intestinal and respiratory organoids of Rousettus aegyptiacus,<\/em> which is the natural reservoir for the highly deadly Marburg virus (MARV), in order to replicate the cellular variety of the in vivo<\/em> epithelium of R. Aegyptiacus<\/em>. Bat organoids and mucosal tissue showed higher constitutive expression of innate immune effectors, such as type I interferon-\u03b5 (IFN\u03b5) and IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs), compared to human counterparts. Bat organoids provided substantial antiviral protection by strongly inducing type I and III IFN responses in response to infection with a variety of zoonotic viruses, including MARV. Moreover, type III IFN\u03bb3 demonstrated virus-independent self-amplification, functioning as an ISG to strengthen antiviral defenses. Important aspects of bat epithelium antiviral immunity could be revealed in this study by utilizing the organoid platform, which could guide in designing novel antiviral drugs.<\/span><\/p>\n

        Sources<\/em><\/strong>:<\/span><\/p>\n

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        1. Kellner, M.J., et al. Bat organoids reveal antiviral responses at epithelial surfaces. Nature Immunology<\/em> (2025). https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41590-025-02155-1<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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          1. Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research. (2025, May 21). Unlocking the secrets of bat immunity. ScienceDaily. Retrieved June 11, 2025 from sciencedaily.com\/releases\/2025\/05\/250521124752.htm<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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            Indigenous Cholera vaccine by Bharat Biotech<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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            Vibrio cholerae<\/em> is the causative agent of Cholera, which is an acute diarrhoeal disease. Ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacteria leads to Cholera. Approximately 3\u20135 million people worldwide suffer from Cholera, and 28,800 – 130,000 people die annually. Vaccination is one of the important tools to prevent this disease. There are several vaccines against cholera; however, WHO recommends the use of oral cholera vaccination in endemic areas due to several factors. Looking into this, India\u2019s leading vaccine company, Bharat Biotech International Ltd., has developed a low-cost oral cholera vaccine (OCV) named Hillchol\u00ae<\/strong>. The Hillchol\u00ae consists of formalin-inactivated stable recombinant Vibrio cholerae<\/em> O1 El Tor Hikojima serotype strain and expresses 50% each of Ogawa and Inaba O1 LPS antigens. The OCV Hillchol\u00ae has successfully completed clinical Phases I, II, and III. The vaccine was tested in adults, adolescents, and children aged 1 year and above with two doses of 1.5 mL of Hillchol\u00ae administered orally with an interval of 14 days. Global demand for OCVs is about 100 million doses annually, and Bharat Biotech has the facility to produce over 200 million doses per year.<\/span><\/p>\n

            Sources<\/em><\/strong>:<\/span><\/p>\n

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            1. Sharma, T., et al. Development of Hillchol\u00ae, a low-cost inactivated single strain Hikojima oral cholera vaccine. Vaccine<\/em> (2020). https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.vaccine.2020.10.043<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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              1. https:\/\/www.bharatbiotech.com\/hillchol.html<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                Engineered bacteria are ready to deliver antiviral drugs and vaccines orally   The commensal bacteria and probiotics help in digestion and immune response modulation. Probiotics have also shown great promise in avoiding bacterial and viral illnesses, such as sepsis and gastroenteritis, and in lowering the incidence and severity of a number of viral respiratory tract…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5890,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,457],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5889","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-research-highlights","category-research-highlights33th-issue"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/babrone.avfu.ac.in\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5889","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/babrone.avfu.ac.in\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/babrone.avfu.ac.in\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/babrone.avfu.ac.in\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/babrone.avfu.ac.in\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5889"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/babrone.avfu.ac.in\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5889\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5957,"href":"https:\/\/babrone.avfu.ac.in\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5889\/revisions\/5957"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/babrone.avfu.ac.in\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5890"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/babrone.avfu.ac.in\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5889"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/babrone.avfu.ac.in\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5889"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/babrone.avfu.ac.in\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5889"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}