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<title>Probiotic bacteria block harmful microbe | National Institutes of Health (NIH)</title>
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<p class="publishdate"><span property="dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2018-10-23T00:00:00-04:00" class="date-display-single">October 23, 2018</span></p><div class='syndicate'><h1>Probiotic bacteria block harmful microbe </h1><div class="callout callout-with-border"><h3>At a Glance</h3>
<ul>
<li>Researchers identified how one microbe prevents the growth of harmful <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em>, or “staph,” bacteria.</li>
<li>The results point to new avenues for using probiotic products to reduce the risk of dangerous infections.</li>
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</picture><span class="caption">A floating market in Thailand selling fruits and vegetables, which are a possible source of probiotic Bacillus spores. </span><span class="credit">izzetugutmen/iStock/Thinkstock</span></div>
</div><p>Your body is home to thousands of species of bacteria and other microbes. Many live in the intestine, or gut. Microbes interact in the gut in complex ways. They can be helpful, neutral, or harmful depending on the conditions in your gut, which affect microbes growth and activity. You can host harmful bacteria without any signs of disease. But if conditions are right, an infection can develop.</p>
<p><em>Staphylococcus aureus,</em> for example, can live in the nose or gut without causing any harm. But it can also cause a variety of diseases, from skin infections to fatal pneumonia and sepsis. An antibiotic-resistant form of this bacterium called methicillin-resistant <em>S. aureus</em> (MRSA) is now one of the most common infections in hospital patients. MRSA may also cause severe infections in otherwise healthy people who arent in a hospital.</p>
<p>Bacterial infections that cant be cured with antibiotics pose the biggest threats. Researchers have been testing the use of beneficial microbes, or probiotics, to find a way to prevent <em>S. aureus</em> infections. <em>Bacillus</em> bacteria, which are found on vegetables grown in soil, are used in many probiotic formulations. They form spores that can survive the harsh environment of the gut.</p>
<p>An international research team led by Dr. Michael Otto at NIHs National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) set out to investigate whether other microbes such as <em>Bacillus</em> can affect the ability of <em>S. aureus</em> to colonize the gut. Researchers from Mahidol University and Rajamangala University of Technology in Thailand collaborated with the NIAID scientists on the project. Results appeared in <em>Nature </em>on October 10, 2018.</p>
<p>The researchers recruited 200 volunteers in rural Thailand, where processed foods and antibiotic use are less common than in urban areas. They found <em>Bacillus</em> in 101 of the stool samples. They found <em>S. aureus</em> in 25 stool samples and 26 nasal samples. However, they found no <em>S. aureus</em> in any of the samples from people with <em>Bacillus</em>.</p>
<p>Laboratory studies showed that <em>Bacillus</em> didnt affect the ability of <em>S. aureus</em> to grow<em>.</em> Instead, it interfered with quorum sensing, the mechanism that bacteria use to detect their population levels and coordinate their activity. The <em>Bacillus</em> from the volunteers stool samples all inhibited the <em>S. aureus</em> quorum-sensing system in mice and prevented <em>S. aureus</em> from colonizing their intestines.</p>
<p>Further work revealed that the <em>Bacillus</em> made a class of substances called fengycins that inhibited <em>S. aureus</em> quorum-sensing system. The research team fed <em>Bacillus</em> spores to mice with <em>S. aureus</em> in their guts. <em>Bacillus</em> given every two days eliminated <em>S. aureus</em>. However, when the ability to produce fengycins was removed from <em>Bacillus</em>, it no longer stopped <em>S. aureus</em> from growing in the gut.</p>
<p>“Probiotics frequently are recommended as dietary supplements to improve digestive health,” NIAID Director Dr. Anthony S. Fauci says. “This is one of the first studies to describe precisely how they may work to provide health benefits. The possibility that oral <em>Bacillus</em> might be an effective alternative to antibiotic treatment for some conditions is scientifically intriguing and definitely worthy of further exploration.”</p>
<p>The scientists next plan to test whether a probiotic product with <em>Bacillus</em> can eliminate <em>S. aureus</em> in people. “Ultimately, we hope to determine if a simple probiotic regimen can be used to reduce MRSA infection rates in hospitals,” Otto says.</p></div><h2 class="label-above">Related Links</h2><ul class="spaced print-urls"><li><a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/bacteria-therapy-tested-common-skin-disease" target="_top">Bacteria Therapy Tested for Common Skin Disease</a></li><li><a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/preventing-bacterial-infections-medical-devices" target="_top">Preventing Bacterial Infections from Medical Devices</a></li><li><a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/antibiotic-combinations-may-combat-mrsa-infections" target="_top">Antibiotic Combinations May Combat MRSA Infections</a></li><li><a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/molecular-insights-into-target-multidrug-resistance" target="_top">Molecular Insights into a Target for Multidrug Resistance</a></li><li><a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/new-drug-effective-against-mrsa-mice" target="_top">New Drug Effective Against MRSA in Mice</a></li><li><a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/insights-into-mrsa-epidemic" target="_top">Insights into MRSA Epidemic</a></li><li><a href="https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2012/11/your-microbes-you" target="_top">Your Microbes and You</a></li></ul><p class="footnote"><strong class="label-inline">References:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30305736">Pathogen elimination by probiotic Bacillus via signalling interference</a>. Piewngam P, Zheng Y, Nguyen TH, Dickey SW, Joo HS, Villaruz AE, Glose KA, Fisher EL, Hunt RL, Li B, Chiou J, Pharkjaksu S, Khongthong S, Cheung GYC, Kiratisin P, Otto M. <em>Nature.</em> 2018 Oct 10. doi: 10.1038/s41586-018-0616-y. [Epub ahead of print]. PMID: 30305736.</p><p class="footnote"><strong class="label-inline">Funding:&nbsp;</strong>NIHs National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS); Thailand Research Fund; and Siriraj Hospital at Mahidol University.</p>
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