Genetically-Engineered Beer Yeast Treats Gut Inflammation

Jul, 2021 - By SMI

Researchers engineered a yeast, which is commonly used in beer-making, to treat certain diseases including gut inflammation as modified bacteria in yeast secrete anti-inflammatory molecules and treat inflammation.

A yeast commonly used in wine-making, baking, and brewing was engineered by Brigham and Women’s Hospital to medicate inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). It has the ability to sense inflammation and to secrete anti-inflammatory molecules that reduces inflammation. The modification of bacteria proved to be effective in preclinical tests to respond to gut inflammation by secretion of anti-inflammatory molecules.

The gut microbiome is responsible for most of the diseases including neurodegenerative diseases and cancer.  The researchers experimented on various clinical microbiome therapies and claimed that fecal transplant to be the most primary microbiome-modifying treatment. However, genetically-engineered probiotics proved to be most futurist therapy in treatment of gut inflammation. The modified bacteria would secrete the essential molecules and eat up hazardous inflammatory molecules causing positive therapeutic effects.

 The new study was published in Nature Medicine demonstrating gut inflammation to be treated by CRISPR-engineered yeast bacterium. It was also demonstrated that engineered bacteria treated diseases including diabetes, colorectal cancer, and cleared excessive ammonia out of the body. The modification of bacteria could also be hypothetically used to diagnose various other diseases. The treatment by engineered probiotics is localized, personalized as well as high controlled for medicating various diseases.