Scientists continue to learn more and more about bacteria that exists naturally inside our gut. The foods we eat affect that bacteria, but so do other organisms that live inside us. Researchers at Virginia Tech recently made a new discovery about treating chronic illness by changing the bacteria inside our stomachs.
In the future we might be able to cure diseases by engineering the organisms that live inside us, explained Brian Hsu, a professor at Virginia Tech who runs a lab that studies the gut microbiome.
“Instead of us, let’s say, taking a protein orally, something you buy from a pharmaceutical company, what we’re doing is we’re telling gut bacteria to make this protein,” Hsu said.
Working alongside an immunologist, Liwu Li, Hsu’s team was able to change the DNA of something called a phage. They’re like viruses that attach to bacteria, and then direct how bacteria interact with our bodies.
“A lot of bacteria are good,” Hsu said. “We rely on them for doing important things healthwise.”
Zach Baker, a PhD student who worked with Hsu on the study, said he thinks the idea for using phage in this way is innovative. “A lot of times people use them to kill bacteria or to prevent infection. But I think there are a lot of different ways that we can use phage,” Baker said. “In this case, producing something and releasing it in the gut as kind of a way to have aa long term therapy as opposed to just taking a pill every single day.
Their study showed that by engineering the phages inside a mouse’s intestines, scientists could indirectly affect a hormone that makes one feel full. The mice ate less and were more active, so they lost weight. Hsu says changing the bacteria in our gut could also help treat a number of chronic illnesses, but more research is needed to understand the science, and how it could have applications for health in humans.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
