Next-generation disease fighters: bacterial airships

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Scientists have reported the development of bacteria, which serve as mobile pharmaceutical factories, both disease producing substances and providing potentially life-saving cargo fight for diseased areas of the body. She reported on these new candidates for the treatment of diseases by food poisoning until called to cancer - "bacterial airships" - on the 241st of the American Chemical Society national meeting & Exposition in there, is held here.

"Here, a platform created disease can by the bacterial airships to next-generation fighters,", said study leader William E. Bentley, PhD. "The concept is unique."

Bentley explains that the traditional genetic engineering bacteria reprograms, so that to produce antibiotics, insulin, medicines and other materials. The bacteria grow in nutritional solutions in huge stainless steel vats in factories. You let antibiotics or insulin in vats, and technicians crops of medicine for processing and eventual use in people.

The bacterial airship approach goes on Bioengineering a step. Scientists genetically modify bacteria produce a drug or an other disease-fighting substance. Then, they give a biochemical shipping address is the locale of the disease bacteria however. Swallow or injected, the bacteria travel to the diseased tissue in the body and produce substances to combat the disease.

Bentley chose the term "bacterial blimps", because the modified bacteria actually look of the blimps and zeppelins, the famous airships of the past year have the fat cigar. Moreover, the bacteria as a blimp seem how they make deliveries float.

The prototype bacterial airship is a strain of E. coli that Bentley and colleagues at the University of Maryland in College Park, developed where he is Robert E. Fischell distinguished professor and Director of Fischell Department of bioengineering.

"We a genetic circuit have created, which lends E. coli with objectives, sensors and switching functions," said Bentley. "" "The resulting cell is a bacterial airship - a cell that navigate autonomously and has or is important"cargo"."

The "targeting" molecule is connected to the outer surface of the bacteria. It allows the bacteria a "raise" on specific cells and attachments to them - in this case the intestinal cells where other strains of E. coli food poisoning symptoms. Within the bacteria, a gene segment is called "Nanofactory.", It used the bacteria of natural cellular machinery to drugs, such as those that can combat bacterial infections, viruses and cancer.

The Nanofactory could produce also signaling molecules, with which to communicate the airship with natural bacteria at the site of infection. Some bacteria are involved in a biochemical chit chat, called "Quorum sensing," in which they coordinate needed, to establish an infection. Bacteria airships could their own signaling molecules that quorum sensing, prevents bacteria from an infection to interfere with produce.

In work on the prototype, Bentley's group showed that search the revised strain of E. coli and attach to intestinal cells growing in laboratory cultures. They also showed that the modified bacteria, to chemical signals make certain proteins the neighboring bacteria, which usually do not produce triggered. The results of proof of the principle is that the "bacterial airships" approach can work, he said.

By using this approach the Nanofactory could produce chemical signals, the cells lining stomach or other parts of the body fight disease natural substances like immunoglobulins synthesize trigger. Immunoglobulins are proteins by the immune system to identify and destroy foreign objects like bacteria and viruses.

"The bacterial airships a strong signal to send to that fight disease cells of the body can react," said Bentley. "The chemical signals say the cells against foreign invaders of the body, including the bacteria that cause food poisoning."

Bacterial airships patients in the form of probiotics, live micro-organisms could be given, is positive for health such as that in certain types of yoghurt, said Bentley. Doctors could inject also airships in the blood stream or directly in a diseased area, such as a tumor, he said.

Scientists confirm funds from the Defense threat reduction Agency (part of U.S. Department of Defense), National Science Foundation and Robert W. German Foundation.

Source:
Michael Bernstein
Michael Woods
American Chemical Society