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Probiotic Therapy R&D for IBD

Probiotics are living microorganisms (e.g., Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, and various non-pathogenic Escherichia coli strains), which have emerged as a proficient strategy for the regulation of gut microbiota disorders. Probiotics can influence the course of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) through a variety of mechanisms, including positively regulating intestinal flora homeostasis through competitive interactions with harmful microorganisms, releasing antimicrobial compounds to reduce intestinal pathogens, orchestrating the immune response by promoting the synthesis of anti-inflammatory factors while inhibiting the production of inflammatory mediators, and mitigating colitis by modulating the integrity of the intestinal barrier. The use of health beneficial probiotics as IBD therapeutics has been given a lot of attention because of the natural and safety aspects of such treatment.

Fig. 1. The mechanism of genetically engineered probiotics involved in treating colitis models. (Li, et al., 2022)

Our Probiotic Therapy R&D Services

Ace Therapeutics is an expert in IBD and can provide full support in the formulation of probiotic therapies. We've worked with several pharmaceutical companies and research institutions on the development of these new therapies.

Screening of Promising Strains for IBD

We provide appropriate strategies to address the selection of effective probiotics for IBD. By combining in vitro and in vivo models, we enable our clients to select strains that are anti-inflammatory as well as able to rehabilitate the gut epithelium.

• We offer in vitro epithelial barrier models for the purpose of testing which potential probiotic strains can strengthen the epithelial barrier. And we can combine this model with peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) stimulation models to identify strains that are anti-inflammatory.
• Following the in vitro screening, we can address the in vitro ability of the strains to dampen inflammation using Trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced animal models of colitis and DSS colitis models, allowing us to confirm the effect of the strains on both inflammation and gut permeability.

Genetically Engineered Probiotics Development Services for IBD

At Ace Therapeutics, we are here to support our customers in the development of genetically modified bacteria as new therapeutics for treating IBD. These genetically engineered bacteria possess the capability to rebalance the intestinal microbiota, while also releasing pharmacologically active compounds into the gut coordinating the mechanism.

• Over the genetic engineering techniques that aim at the transfection of plasmids coding for immunoregulatory cytokines, reporter substrate, or anti-inflammatory mediators, we design engineered probiotics that can sense intestinal inflammation and/or produce locally therapeutic molecules.
• We can develop probiotics that load therapeutic compounds into extracellular outer membrane vesicles (OMVs). By using its endogenous packaging machinery, which could allow exploitation of the natural ability of OMVs to target specific host cells and cross the intestinal epithelial barrier while increasing biocompatibility.

Our Single-cell Modification Strategies for Probiotics Delivery in IBD

We provide effective single-cell modification strategies for probiotics delivery in IBD, enabling protection of probiotics from gastric acid and intestinal bile salt as well as enhance adhesion to mucous membranes. Our comprehensive range of nanocoatings for probiotic encapsulation includes polysaccharides, lipid membranes, proteins, cell membranes, modified polymers, and various related formulations.

Preclinical Evaluation of Probiotic Therapies in IBD

By using state-of-the-art technologies and bolstering multidisciplinary collaborations, we offer all-round services to the mechanisms through which probiotic bacterial strains antagonize pathogenic gastrointestinal organisms or exert other beneficial effects in the host in vivo. We conduct preclinical studies to evaluate the efficacy of probiotic therapies in animal models of IBD.

• Studying the diversity and composition of the gut microbiota
• Analyzing metabolomic profiles of fecal samples
• Detecting the expression levels of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines
• Detection of oxidative stress activity in the colon
• Assessment of intestinal barrier integrity

Ace Therapeutics is dedicated to clients' development of probiotic therapies for the treatment of IBD. We are a leading IBD research provider. If you are interested in our services, do not hesitate to contact us for more information.