Article
Immunology
Chao Sun, Xingyun Gao, Ming Sun, Zhannan Wang, Ying Wang, Xiaohan Zhao, Futing Jia, Tongyu Zhang, Chongbo Ge, Xiao Zhang, Menglei Zhang, Guilian Yang, Jianzhong Wang, Haibin Huang, Chunwei Shi, Wentao Yang, Xin Cao, Nan Wang, Yan Zeng, Chunfeng Wang, Yanlong Jiang
Summary: The probiotic E. coli Nissle 1917 (EcN) has shown potential as an alternative to antibiotics in preventing Salmonella-induced white diarrhea in chickens. In vitro experiments demonstrated that EcN significantly reduced the invasion of Salmonella in chicken fibroblast cells. The study also found that EcN protected chickens against Salmonella infection by decreasing body weight loss, mortality, and shedding of pathogenic bacteria. Additionally, EcN increased the diversity of intestinal flora and reduced the abundance of pathogenic bacteria while promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria. This research highlights the importance of EcN in preventing Salmonella in chickens.
MICROBIAL PATHOGENESIS
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Nikolett Palkovicsne Pezsa, Dora Kovacs, Fanni Somogyi, Zita Karancsi, Alma Virag Moritz, Akos Jerzsele, Bence Racz, Orsolya Farkas
Summary: This study established a co-culture model to simulate gastrointestinal infection and evaluated the beneficial effects of L. rhamnosus. The results showed that L. rhamnosus can improve barrier function, reduce inflammation, and inhibit adhesion.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Dandan Wu, Xiaomei Li, Yanying Yu, Bingxue Gong, Xianxuan Zhou
Summary: The study showed that heparin stimulated the biofilm formation of EcN. Both the sulfation and chain length of heparin contributed to enhancing the biofilm formation of EcN, which could potentially promote the intestinal colonization of probiotics to combat pathogen infections.
BIOTECHNOLOGY LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Theodore A. Chavkin, Loc-Duyen Pham, Aleksandar Kostic
Summary: The study found that oral probiotics EcN can reduce postprandial glycemic response in mice, but not through direct glucose uptake. Further exploration is needed to understand the potential indirect mechanisms of EcN on host glucose metabolism.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Mirelle Geervliet, Hugo de Vries, Christine A. Jansen, Victor P. M. G. Rutten, Hubert van Hees, Caifang Wen, Kerstin Skovgaard, Giacomo Antonello, Huub F. J. Savelkoul, Hauke Smidt, Edwin Tijhaar, Jerry M. Wells
Summary: This study demonstrates that the pre-weaning period offers a 'window of opportunity' to modulate the porcine gut microbiota and immune system through dietary interventions such as EcN supplementation. EcN-treated pigs showed a reduced diversity of taxa within the phylum Proteobacteria and a lower relative abundance of taxa within the genus Treponema during the pre-weaning period. Moreover, EcN induced T cell proliferation and Natural Killer cell activation in blood and enhanced IL-10 production in ex vivo stimulated mesenteric lymph node cells, suggesting a more regulatory or anti-inflammatory state of the local gut-associated immune system.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zejing Zhao, Shumin Xu, Wangyang Zhang, Danjun Wu, Gensheng Yang
Summary: This review discusses the probiotic properties of Escherichia coli NISSLE 1917 (EcN) in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), particularly ulcerative colitis. The mechanisms of EcN in the remission of IBD are proposed, and recent advancements on functionalized EcN are compiled to provide novel therapeutic strategies for the prevention and treatment of IBD.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sarunas Tumas, Trine Sundebo Meldgaard, Troels Holger Vaaben, Sara Suarez Hernandez, Annemette Tengstedt Rasmussen, Ruben Vazquez-Uribe, Sine Reker Hadrup, Morten O. A. Sommer
Summary: In this study, we optimized the delivery of biologically active IL-2 using engineered E. coli Nissle 1917. The engineered strain showed high biological activity of microbially produced IL-2 (mi-IL2) in vitro and demonstrated strong immune cell activation in a 3D tumor spheroid model. Furthermore, the engineered strain selectively colonized tumors in a murine CT26 tumor model and resulted in a modest reduction in tumor growth rate and increased levels of IL-2 in the tumor. This study provides a workflow for researchers interested in utilizing E. coli Nissle for microbial therapy against cancer.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Haixiu Wang, Eric Cox, Bert Devriendt
Summary: Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) strains recognize and respond to factors secreted by gut epithelial cells, leading to transcriptional modulation of key ETEC virulence genes.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Sathyanarayanan Jayashree, Ramamoorthy Sivakumar, Raman Karthikeyan, Paramasamy Gunasekaran, Jeyaprakash Rajendhran
Summary: This study utilized INSeq to identify 113 candidate genes essential for the adhesion and colonization of Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 on intestinal cells. These genes are associated with various functions such as carbohydrate transport and metabolism, cell wall biogenesis, stress response, motility, and signal transduction. Individual knock-out mutants of five genes confirmed their role in adhesion to Caco-2 cells, providing insights for developing designer probiotic strains.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Payel Datta, Li Fu, Paul Brodfuerer, Jonathan S. Dordick, Robert J. Linhardt
Summary: Heparosan, a naturally occurring glycosaminoglycan, serves as a substrate for the synthesis of heparan sulfate and heparin. Probiotic bacteria E. coli Nissle 1917 is a natural producer of heparosan, with fermentation and purification conditions affecting its quality attributes. The study demonstrated successful scaling of heparosan production and its potential for producing chemical modifications for pharmaceutical applications.
APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Matthew B. Amrofell, Tae Seok Moon
Summary: Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) commonly found in the large intestine impact microbiome composition and host physiology. Researchers are interested in developing engineered probiotics capable of detecting SCFAs as biogeography or disease sensors. By utilizing the E. coli transcription factor PrpR and its cognate promoter P-prpBCDE, researchers have successfully detected extracellular propionate using the probiotic bacterium E. coli Nissle 1917. This study provides insights for building biogeographically sensitive genetic circuits.
ACS SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xinyuan Yang, Jiali Yang, Zihan Ye, Guizhen Zhang, Weimin Nie, Hui Cheng, Mengyun Peng, Kaixiang Zhang, Junjie Liu, Zhenzhong Zhang, Jinjin Shi
Summary: Coating probiotics with tannic acid and mucin can enhance their survival and colonization in the gastrointestinal tract, leading to potential applications in disease prevention and treatment.
Article
Biophysics
Ting Wang, Qiong Yin, Hao yang Huang, Zhenyu Wang, Haixing Song, Xiaoming Luo
Summary: The poor drug penetration in the hypoxia area of solid tumors poses a significant challenge for intestinal tumor therapy. In this study, the researchers developed a bacteria propelled micro-robot using Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 (EcN) bacteria to target and deliver drugs to the hypoxic region of intestinal tumors.
COLLOIDS AND SURFACES B-BIOINTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Nikolett Palkovicsne Pezsa, Dora Kovacs, Peter Galfi, Bence Racz, Orsolya Farkas
Summary: Intestinal diseases caused by Salmonella spp. and Escherichia coli are a major economic concern in the farming industry. The use of antibiotics to control these diseases has led to the development of antibiotic resistance. This study investigates the potential of Enterococcus faecium as an alternative to antibiotics for maintaining gastrointestinal health. The results show that Enterococcus faecium can reduce oxidative stress, improve intestinal permeability, and inhibit the adhesion of Salmonella Typhimurium and Escherichia coli.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Shilong Hu, Mingyue Fei, Beibei Fu, Mingjing Yu, Panhong Yuan, Biao Tang, Hua Yang, Dongchang Sun
Summary: By protein and metabolic engineering, Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 (EcN) was successfully engineered to produce beta-alanine from glucose. The production of beta-alanine was increased by optimizing enzyme activity, metabolic flux, and culture medium. The engineered EcN obtained a high yield of beta-alanine in fed-batch fermentation.
APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Ulrike Ravens-Sieberer, Anne Kaman, Michael Erhart, Christiane Otto, Janine Devine, Constanze Loeffler, Klaus Hurrelmann, Monika Bullinger, Claus Barkmann, Nico A. Siegel, Anja M. Simon, Lothar H. Wieler, Robert Schlack, Heike Hoelling
Summary: The German COPSY study is a longitudinal study that examines the mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children and adolescents. The study found that during the pandemic, the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of children and adolescents decreased, and there was an increase in emotional problems, peer-related mental health problems, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and psychosomatic complaints. Socially disadvantaged children and children of mentally burdened parents were more at risk of impaired mental health, while female gender and older age were associated with fewer mental health problems. A positive family climate and social support supported the mental health of children and adolescents during the pandemic.
EUROPEAN CHILD & ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Yassir A. Shuaib, Christian Utpatel, Thomas A. Kohl, Ivan Barilar, Margo Diricks, Nadia Ashraf, Lothar H. Wieler, Glennah Kerubo, Eyob A. Mesfin, Awa Ba Diallo, Sahal Al-Hajoj, Perpetua Ndung'u, Margaret M. Fitzgibbon, Farzam Vaziri, Vitali Sintchenko, Elena Martinez, Sofia O. Viegas, Yang Zhou, Aya Azmy, Khaled Al-Amry, Sylvain Godreuil, Mandira Varma-Basil, Anshika Narang, Solomon Ali, Patrick Beckert, Viola Dreyer, Mwila Kabwe, Matthew Bates, Michael Hoelscher, Andrea Rachow, Andrea Gori, Emmanuel M. Tekwu, Larissa K. Sidze, Assam A. Jean-Paul, Veronique P. Beng, Francine Ntoumi, Matthias Frank, Aissatou Gaye Diallo, Souleymane Mboup, Belay Tessema, Dereje Beyene, Sadiq N. Khan, Roland Diel, Philip Supply, Florian P. Maurer, Harald Hoffmann, Stefan Niemann, Matthias Merker
Summary: Tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex strains, remains a major cause of death worldwide. This study focused on Lineage 3 strains, which are particularly successful in Northern and Eastern Africa, as well as in Southern Asia. Through genotyping and genome analysis, the researchers determined that Lineage 3 originated in India and identified multiple independent introductions of different sublineages into North/East Africa. This study provides valuable insights into the global diversity of Lineage 3 and has implications for the development of new tuberculosis treatments and vaccines.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Andre Hajek, Freia De Bock, Christina Merkel, Sarah Eitze, Cornelia Betsch, Michael Bosnjak, Lothar H. Wieler, Hans-Helmut Koenig
Summary: This study aimed to shed light on attitudes towards influenza vaccination in Germany in 2021/2022 based on the COSMO survey. The results showed that about one-third of respondents and healthcare workers plan to get a flu shot this year. Among the at-risk group of people aged 60 and older, more than half plan to get vaccinated. Correlates, such as gender, were identified, with women having a lower likelihood of planning to get a flu shot. The study concludes that physicians should inform women, especially during the pandemic, about the advantages of influenza vaccination and communicate the proven protective effect convincingly.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Fereshteh Ghazisaeedi, Jochen Meens, Bianca Hansche, Sven Maurischat, Peter Schwerk, Ralph Goethe, Lothar H. Wieler, Marcus Fulde, Karsten Tedin
Summary: The probiotic bacterial strain Enterococcus faecium SF68 has been found to alleviate intestinal inflammation and modulate the immune response. The inhibitory effect on host cell signaling pathways is likely due to the presence of arginine deiminase, which is responsible for the anti-inflammatory effects observed in clinical trials.
Article
Biology
Sumeet K. Tiwari, Boas C. L. van der Putten, Thilo M. Fuchs, Trung N. Vinh, Martin Bootsma, Rik Oldenkamp, Roberto La Ragione, Sebastien Matamoros, Ngo T. Hoa, Christian Berens, Joy Leng, Julio Alvarez, Marta Ferrandis-Vila, Jenny M. Ritchie, Angelika Fruth, Stefan Schwarz, Lucas Dominguez, Maria Ugarte-Ruiz, Astrid Bethe, Charlotte Huber, Vanessa Johanns, Ivonne Stamm, Lothar H. Wieler, Christa Ewers, Amanda Fivian-Hughes, Herbert Schmidt, Christian Menge, Torsten Semmler, Constance Schultsz
Summary: This study analyzes the genetic determinants of host specificity in E. coli and identifies specific genes associated with different hosts. The nan-9 gene cluster shows a strong association with the human host, while previously known sialic acid regulon genes show no significant association with any host.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Simone Scheithauer, Alexander Dilthey, Anna Bludau, Sandra Ciesek, Victor Corman, Tjibbe Donker, Tim Eckmanns, Richard Egelkamp, Hajo Grundmann, Georg Haecker, Martin Kaase, Berit Lange, Alexander Mellmann, Martin Mielke, Mathias Pletz, Bernd Salzberger, Andrea Thuermer, Andreas Widmer, Lothar H. Wieler, Thorsten Wolff, Soeren Gatermann, Torsten Semmler
Summary: The deficit of genomic pathogen surveillance infrastructure in Germany has been revealed during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Establishing an efficient and adaptable genomic pathogen surveillance network is urgently needed to prepare for future pandemics. This paper proposes measures based on global and country-specific best practices to achieve integrated genomic pathogen surveillance, which includes linking epidemiological data with pathogen genomic data, sharing and coordinating resources, making surveillance data available to decision-makers, public health service, and the scientific community, and engaging all stakeholders.
BUNDESGESUNDHEITSBLATT-GESUNDHEITSFORSCHUNG-GESUNDHEITSSCHUTZ
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Christopher Irrgang, Tim Eckmanns, Max von Kleist, Esther-Maria Antao, Katharina Ladewig, Lothar Wieler, Nils Koerber
Summary: Societal health is facing new challenges due to climate change, demographic ageing, and globalization. The One Health approach aims to understand health holistically by linking human, animal, and environmental sectors. Artificial intelligence techniques offer opportunities for cross-sectoral assessment of health threats. This article discusses the applications and challenges of AI techniques in the context of One Health, using antimicrobial resistance as an example.
BUNDESGESUNDHEITSBLATT-GESUNDHEITSFORSCHUNG-GESUNDHEITSSCHUTZ
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Bernd Salzberger, Alexander Mellmann, Anna Bludau, Sandra Ciesek, Victor Corman, Alexander Dilthey, Tjibbe Donker, Tim Eckmanns, Richard Egelkamp, Soeren G. Gatermann, Hajo Grundmann, Georg Haecker, Martin Kaase, Berit Lange, Martin Mielke, Mathias W. Pletz, Torsten Semmler, Andrea Thuermer, Lothar H. Wieler, Thorsten Wolff, Andreas F. Widmer, Simone Scheithauer
Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of effective infection surveillance and infrastructure. Germany's genomic pathogen sequencing infrastructure was inadequate due to a lack of equipment, resources, data management, and coordination. The authors propose the establishment of comprehensive genomic pathogen surveillance in Germany, including sequencing, data collection, data linkage, and target pathogens, to better address future epidemics and pandemics and learn from the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Mareike Saathoff, Karsten Tedin, Stefan Graetz, Peter Schwerk, Maria Kunert, Roderich D. Suessmuth, Marcus Fulde
JOURNAL OF ANTIMICROBIAL CHEMOTHERAPY
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Carmen Koschollek, Katja Kajikhina, Charbel El Bcheraoui, Lothar H. Wieler, Niels Michalski, Claudia Hovener
Summary: The study aimed to investigate the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection among migrants and ethnic minorities in Germany, and discuss potential explanations for these associations. The results showed that the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection is determined by socio-economic factors rather than migrant status.
Article
Microbiology
Sebastian Braetz, Peter Schwerk, Nara Figueroa-Bossi, Karsten Tedin, Marcus Fulde
Summary: Our study demonstrates that prophages significantly reduce persister cell formation in lysogenic cells exposed to DNA-gyrase-targeting drugs, and also impact the initial drug susceptibility.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Ruth Offergeld, Karina Preussel, Thomas Zeiler, Konstanze Aurich, Barbara I. Baumann-Baretti, Sandra Ciesek, Victor M. Corman, Viktoria Dienst, Christian Drosten, Siegfried Goerg, Andreas Greinacher, Marica Grossegesse, Sebastian Haller, Hans-Gert Heuft, Natalie Hofmann, Peter A. Horn, Claudia Houareau, Ilay Guelec, Carlos Luis Jimenez Klingberg, David Juhl, Monika Lindemann, Silke Martin, Hannelore K. Neuhauser, Andreas Nitsche, Julia Ohme, Sven Peine, Ulrich J. Sachs, Lars Schaade, Richard Schaefer, Heinrich Scheiblauer, Martin Schlaud, Michael Schmidt, Markus Umhau, Tanja Vollmer, Franz F. Wagner, Lothar H. Wieler, Hendrik Wilking, Malte Ziemann, Marlow Zimmermann, Matthias an der Heiden
Summary: SARS-CoV-2 serosurveillance is crucial for infection control measures and understanding underreporting. A study in Germany analyzed blood donor samples collected from April 2020 to April 2021, September 2021, and April/May 2022. The seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 increased over time, reaching 100% in April/May 2022. Neutralizing capacity was also observed in the majority of positive specimens. The study revealed low levels of underreporting, indicating an effective testing and notification system in Germany.
Article
Medical Informatics
Anatol-Fiete Naeher, Carina N. Vorisek, Sophie A. Klopfenstein, Moritz Lehne, Sylvia Thun, Shada Alsalamah, Sameer Pujari, Dominik Heider, Wolfgang Ahrens, Iris Pigeot, Georg Marckmann, Mirjam A. Jenny, Bernhard Y. Renard, Max von Kleist, Lothar H. Wieler, Felix Balzer, Linus Grabenhenrich
Summary: Substantial opportunities for global health intelligence and research can be achieved through the combined and optimised use of secondary data within data ecosystems. This includes data from emerging sources such as the internet, wearables, mobile phone apps, electronic health records, and genome sequencing. Guidance on available sources and approaches for processing secondary data, as well as criteria for assessing reusability, can support policy decision making and improve early detection and prevention of emerging health threats.
LANCET DIGITAL HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Benjamin F. Maier, Annika H. Rose, Angelique Burdinski, Pascal Klamser, Hannelore Neuhauser, Ole Wichmann, Lars Schaade, Lothar H. Wieler, Dirk Brockmann
Summary: After the winter of 2021/2022, a considerable number of people in Germany have been infected with or vaccinated against the SARS-CoV-2 variant. However, due to under-reporting and unknown overlap between the vaccinated and recovered populations, the exact extent is difficult to estimate. This study provides estimates of the share of immunologically naive individuals in each age group for the German population by integrating infectious-disease modeling and vaccine uptake data. The study shows that a significant proportion of the population in Germany remains immunologically naive, highlighting the impact of the Omicron waves.
EPIDEMIOLOGY AND INFECTION
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Julika Loss, Juliane Wurm, Gianni Varnaccia, Anja Schienkiewitz, Helena Iwanowski, Anne-Kathrin Mareike Loer, Jennifer Allen, Barbara Wess, Angelika Schaffrath Rosario, Stefan Damerow, Tim Kuttig, Hanna Perlitz, Anselm Hornbacher, Bianca Finkel, Carolin Krause, Jan Wormsbaecher, Anna Sandoni, Ulrike Kubisch, Kiara Eggers, Andreas Nitsche, Aleksandar Radonic, Kathrin Trappe, Oliver Drechsel, Kathleen Klaper, Andrea Franke, Antje Huether, Udo Buchholz, Walter Haas, Lothar H. Wieler, Susanne Jordan
Summary: In daycare centres, close contact between children and employees increases the risk of infection transmission. This study aimed to investigate the role of daycare centres in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the spread of the virus to associated households. The results showed that the secondary attack rate varied among daycare groups, and the household secondary attack rate was high. Additionally, children in daycare centres were less likely to be infected with SARS-CoV-2 compared to employees.
EPIDEMIOLOGY AND INFECTION
(2022)
