Probiotic strain isolation and characterization
Probiotics are live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host.
Probiotics have been a part of human nutrition for centuries in form of dairy products or fermented foods, even though probiotic food slowly vanished from our tables with the advent of high-fat, western diet.
The beneficial effects of probiotics, however, have not been forgotten, and are currently being trialed for potential applications in clinical practice. At CBmed, we provide A-Z services, from strain characterization and selection all the way to clinical safety, efficacy and validation studies
Probiotic strain isolation and characterization
Probiotics are live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host.
Probiotics have been a part of human nutrition for centuries in form of dairy products or fermented foods, even though probiotic food slowly vanished from our tables with the advent of high-fat, western diet.
The beneficial effects of probiotics, however, have not been forgotten, and are currently being trialed for potential applications in clinical practice. At CBmed, we provide A-Z services, from strain characterization and selection all the way to clinical safety, efficacy and validation studies
Strain characterization
Our strain characterization pipeline is modular and individualizable and can be adapted to your specific needs.
Direct pathogen inhibition
Probiotic and pathogenic bacteria directly compete against each other during a defined timespan. The viability of the pathogenic bacteria after this challenge indicate the pathogen inhibition capacity of the probiotic strain. Potential inhibitory capacities can be testes:
- Niche competition (probiotic bacterium limits the space and nutrients pathogens rely on for survival
- Modulation of growth conditions (e.g. acid production)
- Secretion of specialized antimicrobial substances
Indirect pathogen inhibition
Probiotic supernatant is harvested by removing the live bacteria from the culture. Pathogens are challenged with the probiotic supernatant and their growth pattern in the presence of the probiotic supernatant indicates the indirect inhibitory capacity. This setup tests
- Modulation of growth conditions (can also be excluded from the assessment if not of interest)
- Secretion of specialized antimicrobial substances
Innate immune modulation
Neutrophil granulocytes are the most common immune cell type in the human blood stream. Their ability to catch and kill pathogens as well as their coordination and signaling strategies are vital in the first line defense against infections. We brought our fascination with neutrophils into the lab and simulate their behavior and function in several different models. Find more information on our neutrophil work here. (Insert a link to the Immunology services) Probiotic interventions have been shown to effect neutrophil functions as shown in our previous work. (Link to DOI: 10.1007/s00394-019-02135-w, DOI: 10.1111/apt.13788, DOI: 10.1002/hep.21737, DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2008.02.015)
Within our probiotic strain characterization pipeline, we combine our expertise in neutrophil biology and probiotic research to highlight the potential role probiotics can play in the prevention of and fight against infections. Contact our specialist to find out more.
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Cytokine secretion
Cytokine and chemokine production is a central mechanism in neutrophil signaling. Probiotic bacteria can induce or inhibit the production of certain cytokines and thereby modulate the communication structure and defense strategies of neutrophils.
We asses and interpret these signals in order to characterize probiotic strains and estimate their effects in the human body. Contact our experts to find out more.
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Clinical expertise in probiotic research
Take advantage of our highly skilled medial experts with years of experience in probiotic research. Our clinicians actively practice in different medical fields and experience unmet clinical needs and potential applications for probiotics on a daily basis. We have conducted clinical studies testing probiotics in a variety of conditions.
Clinical pilot studies for safety
Unless QPS certified, probiotics need to be tested for safe use in humans. Together with our clinical partners we can conduct safety studies for the first use in humans.
Clinical gold standard efficacy studies
Our medical experts are experiences with every stage of a clincial study and can provide competent advise on
. protocol design
. endpoints
. sample size requirements
. ethical approval
. randomization
. recruitment
. data aquisition
. endpoint assessment
. data analysis
. interpretation
. dissemination