Researchers in China have developed an orally ingestible capsule that can be used to control gut bacteria via a smartphone app. Scholars from Tianjin University and other institutes in the country have already run trials on pigs with colon inflammation. A paper outlining their findings was published in Nature Microbiology. Their work offers a game-changing approach to digitally monitoring health and a remotely controllable intervention.
How does this work?
According to the paper published in Nature Microbiology, researchers have successfully modified a gastrointestinal bacterium known as Escherichia coli to respond to specific signals and perform relevant functions within the gut. This bacterium is naturally found in the lower intestines of warm-blooded animals and plays a key role in digestion, to better fight against biomarkers of bad gut health.
To work successfully, the engineered bacteria need to be taken with a capsule that will be connected to your smartphone via Bluetooth. The capsule, featuring a circuit board and powered by batteries, was developed as an oral ingestible. The authors also outlined how it can help control and allow for two-way communication with gut bacteria.
What do the initial trials demonstrate?
Researchers behind the experiment initially trialled the capsule in pigs with colon inflammation, which demonstrated successful results.
Three pigs, which previously suffered from an inflammation of the colon, were used for the trials of this new bio-technology. For this use case, the bacteria were modified to emit light upon detecting nitrate, a biomarker that indicates colitis (inflammation of the colon)
The engineered bacteria were subsequently introduced into the pigs’ intestines, followed by a smart capsule. This capsule detected light emitted by the bacteria and transmitted the signal via Bluetooth to a smartphone app.
Using the app, the research team directed the capsule to emit light, which activated a light-sensitive genetic circuit within the engineered E. coli, prompting it to increase production of anti-inflammatory antibodies in the needed area. These antibodies were able to successfully cure the pigs.
How does the discovery of this technology stand to impact future treatments?
“By granting scientists control over how an engineered bacterium behaves inside a living organism, this technology stands to improve the precision of diagnoses and therapies that use microbes by tenfold,” the authors of the study reported
They added that further refinement to support multiple rounds of communication and clinical testing could one day allow for its application in treating human diseases.
The authors wrote, “As a proof of concept, we engineered E. coli Nissle 1917 to detect inflammation-associated nitric oxide in the pig gut and generate a bioluminescent signal for diagnosis of colitis.” “This approach highlights the potential for integrating synthetic biology and optoelectronics for digital health monitoring and controllable intervention,” they added.
(With inputs from PTI)