Another research direction in Dr. Karlyshev’s lab is the investigation of possible applications of probiotics for treatment and prevention of Campylobacter infection in humans, as well as for potential elimination of these bacteria from poultry, as chickens are known to be the main source of infection.
“In particular, the results of a study, ‘Lactobacillus fermentum 3872 as a potential tool for combatting Campylobacter jejuni infections’, reported by Burhan Lehri, a PhD student and the project leader in our lab, suggest that the probiotic bacterium L. fermentum can compete with C. jejuni for binding to host cell receptors (collagen), which may result in competitive exclusion of the pathogen,” Dr. Karlyshev explains. “Although these experiments were conducted in vitro, they provide a proof of principle of the potential application of beneficial bacteria for fighting these infections. Development of alternative intervention tools is particularly important, as many recent C. jejuni isolates were found to be resistant to a wide range of conventional antibiotics.”
“Theoretically, the probiotic can be used alongside rehydration therapy in humans to reduce the severity of infection,” Lehri notes. “L. fermentum 3872 may also be utilized as a prophylactic in individuals traveling to areas that have a high incidence of C. jejuni related infections. Future studies may be conducted to determine the effect of L. fermentum 3872 on poultry, as well.”
USDA NIFA-Funded Campylobacter Research
In addition to the projects at Tennessee State University, the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture is also currently funding two other six-year, $2.5 million Campylobacter projects:
- Novel and Practical Approaches for Mitigation of Campylobacter in Poultry (Iowa State University)
- The Development of an Efficacious Vaccine to Reduce Campylobacter in Chickens (University of Arizona)
Additional NIFA-funded research is focusing on:
- Identifying Genes that Contribute to the Survival of Campylobacter jejuni in Refrigerated and Frozen Foods (Washington State University School of Veterinary Medicine)
- Conserved Hypothetical Genes Important for Campylobacter Virulence (Texas A&M University)
- Ecological Dynamics and Genotyping Characterization of Campylobacter in Integrated Crop-Livestock Farms (University of California, Davis)
- Mitigation of Fluoroquinolone-Resistant Campylobacter in Cattle (Iowa State University School of Veterinary Medicine)
- Investigations of Mechanisms Mediating Contamination of Produce by Listeria, and Pre-Harvest Risk Factors for Campylobacter in Turkeys (North Carolina State University)
- Identification of Campylobacter jejuni Factors that Influence Chicken Commensalism (Michigan State University)
- Genetic Basis for Campylobacter jejuni Induced Pathotypes in the Host (Michigan State University)
- Strategies to Reduce the Food-Borne Pathogen, Campylobacter, on Post-Harvest Poultry Products (University of Arkansas)
- Microbiome as Antimicrobial Alternatives to Reduce Food Borne Campylobacteriosis and to Improve Poultry Productivity (University of Arkansas)
- MHC-Y Directed Immune Responses during Colonization of Chickens by Campylobacter (Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope)
- Abortifacient Campylobacter jejuni as a Zoonotic Pathogen (Iowa State University)
- Source Tracking and Transmission Risk of Campylobacter Spp. on Mixed Produce Crop-Livestock Farms Using Rotational Grazing (University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine)
- A Food Safety Vaccine to Control Salmonella enteritidis and Reduce Campylobacter in Poultry (University of Florida)
—L.L.L
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