Lactic acid bacteria as mucosal delivery vehicles: a realistic therapeutic option

Abstract

Recombinant lactic acid bacteria (LAB), in particular lactococci and lactobacilli, have gained increasing interest as mucosal delivery vehicles in recent years. With the development of mucosal vaccines, studies on LAB expression systems have been mainly focused on the generation of genetic tools for antigen expression in different locations. Recombinant LAB show advantages in a wide range of aspects over other mucosal delivery systems and represent an attractive candidate for the delivery of therapeutic and prophylactic molecules in different applications. Here, we review the recent data on the use of recombinant LAB as mucosal delivery vectors and the associated health benefits, including the prevention and treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), autoimmune disorders, and infections by pathogenic microorganisms from mucosal surfaces. In addition, we discuss the use of LAB as vehicles to deliver DNA directly to eukaryotic cells. Researches from the last 5 years demonstrate that LAB as vectors for mucosal delivery of therapeutic molecules seem to be a realistic therapeutic option both in human and animal diseases.

Use of Wild Type or Recombinant Lactic Acid Bacteria as an Alternative Treatment for Gastrointestinal Inflammatory Diseases: A Focus on Inflammatory Bowel Diseases and Mucositis

“…To enhance probiotic properties, research is focusing on the development of genetically modified bacterial strains expressing heterologous proteins of medical interest, such as anti-inflammatory molecules. Recently, the use of recombinant LAB strains with natural probiotic activities have shown promising results in pre-clinical studies as an alternative therapy to treat cancer, obesity, and especially GI tract inflammation (Bermúdez-Humarán et al, 2007; Cortes-Perez et al, 2007; Bahey-El-Din et al, 2010; Bermúdez-Humarán et al, 2013; Wang et al, 2016). …”

“…Well-reported examples include the construction of L. casei , L. plantarum , S. thermophilus , and L. lactis strains capable of expressing anti-inflammatory molecules, thus increasing the benefitial effects of the above-mentioned strains ( Table 1 ) (Han et al, 2006; LeBlanc et al, 2011; Del Carmen et al, 2014). Thus, several studies have focused on the use of recombinant anti-inflammatory LAB as an interesting alternative treatment for GIT inflammatory diseases (de Moreno de LeBlanc et al, 2015; Wang et al, 2016). …”

Recombinant Probiotics and Microbiota Modulation as a Good Therapy for Diseases Related to the GIT

“…LAB, which include, mainly, species from the genus Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, Lactococcus, Pediococcus, and Streptococcus, constitute a group of Gram-positive, anaerobic or aerotolerant, nonspore-forming, nonmobile, and highly low pH-tolerant microorganisms. However, the main characteristic of this group is its ability to produce lactic acid as the final product of the fermentation of carbohydrates [109][110][111].…”

Mucosal and systemic immune responses elicited by recombinant Lactococcus lactis expressing a fusion protein composed of pertussis toxin and filamentous hemagglutinin from Bordetella pertussis

“…Lactococcus lactis is the best-known LAB that has been extensively manipulated, and in particular has been used for heterologous protein expression and delivery vehicle via mucosal routes, reviewed in Refs. [12][13][14].…”