Researchers at the National Health Research Institutes have discovered a new strain of intestinal bacteria that could help treat and prevent inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
The study led by Kao Cheng-yuan (高承源), an associate investigator at the institutes’ Immunology Research Center, was published in November last year in the journal Cell Reports.
Growing evidence connects an imbalanced microbiome to a variety of diseases, the institutes said.
Photo: Wu Liang-yi, Taipei Times
Totaling more than the number of cells in the human body, despite only weighing about 200g, gut bacteria are understood to be central to human health.
Nearly a decade of research into the microbiome by Kao and his team has led them to a particular bacterium, called NHRI-C1-K-H-1-87, that could protect against IBD.
Comprising two chronic inflammatory digestive tract disorders — Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis — IBD affects 12 people in every 100,000, yet does not have a cure or pharmaceutical treatment.
Through their study, the researchers discovered that mice lacking the dual-specificity phosphatase 6 (Dusp6) gene had more resilient colon barriers, which protect against colitis.
The mice were less likely to be harmed by dextran sulfate sodium, which injures the colon by compromising its mucosal barrier.
Mice lacking the Dusp6 gene also had lower oxygen concentrations in the colon, which helps maintain a balanced microbiome by keeping alive bacteria that are typically killed in high-oxygen environments.
The team then transferred gut bacteria from mice without Dusp6 to control mice, which subsequently proved to be equally resistant to IBD.
After isolating 11 bacteria, they discovered one from the Duncaniella genus to be twice as abundant in mice without Dusp6, suggesting its potential to protect against the disease.
This research is expected to provide new opportunities for treating and preventing IBD, whether through genetically regulating intestinal microflora or introducing a particular strain, the institutes said.
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