Swallowing a pill isn’t always the best delivery method for some drugs — for instance, they may not survive the trip through the stomach’s acids, or they might be delivered all at once instead of gradually over time.
To circumvent those challenges, some scientists are aiming to genetically modify microbes that would take up residence in your intestines and churn out the drugs themselves.
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[N]ow, University of Florida researchers have genetically modified the gut microbe Lactobacillus paracasei to deliver a protein to treat high blood pressure.…
Probiotics have some important advantages over medications traditionally used to treat pulmonary hypertension…said lead researcher Mohan Raizada, professor of physiology at the University of Florida.
“It’s easier to make and easier to take,” he said. “One of the biggest problems in drug manufacturing is cost — of processing, of making sure it’s pure. But here, you just grow some bugs and you have it. And if this works, the probiotic could be given like yogurt. People could just eat it.”
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion, and analysis. Read full, original post: Gene-engineered gut bacteria successfully treat sick mice—and could treat humans someday
