Mucosal vaccination and therapy with genetically modified lactic acid bacteria

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Immunology
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are effective mucosal delivery vehicles for functional proteins.
• Intranasal administration of LAB strains elicits protective immune responses.
• Oral administration of LAB requires frequent dosing but can be enhanced with new strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the potential of LAB, specifically Lactococcus lactis, as delivery vehicles for therapeutic proteins.
• To investigate LAB's role in inducing antigen-specific oral tolerance (OT) and its therapeutic implications.
• To highlight advancements in using genetically modified LAB for treating inflammatory conditions like IBD.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing live and killed LAB vaccine strains for intranasal administration.
• Employing oral administration of Lactococcus lactis for inducing antigen-specific oral tolerance.
• Developing genetically modified L. lactis strains for targeted protein secretion (e.g., Il-10).

Main Results:

• LAB delivery via intranasal route induces mucosal and systemic immunity, providing protection.
• Oral administration of L. lactis efficiently induces antigen-specific oral tolerance, surpassing purified antigens.
• Genetically modified L. lactis shows significant progress in treating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Conclusions:

• LAB are versatile mucosal delivery vehicles with potential in vaccination and therapy.
• LAB-mediated oral tolerance induction offers a promising strategy for allergies and autoimmune diseases.
• Genetically modified LAB, especially L. lactis secreting Il-10, are paving the way for novel therapeutic applications.