Study Shows Engineered Gut Bacteria Can Treat Hypertension
Published:01 Nov.2023 Source:University of Toledo
The study, published this month in the peer-reviewed journal Pharmacological Research, represents a paradigm shift, said Dr. Bina Joe, a hypertension researcher at UToledo and the paper's senior author.
"The question we always ask is, can we exploit microbiota to help our health, for which optimal blood pressure is a cardinal sign. Until now, we have simply said changes in microbiota play a role in elevated blood pressure or hypertension. Those are important findings, but they don't always have an immediately translational application," she said. "This is the first time we have shown that we really can do this. It's a proof of principle that you can use microbiota to make products that measurably improve your health."
Joe, a Distinguished University Professor and chair of the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology in the UToledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, is a pioneer in studying the connection between bacteria living in our gut and blood pressure regulation. In her most recent research, Joe and her team tested Lactobacillus paracasei, a beneficial gut bacterium, that was specially modified to produce a protein called ACE2 in lab rats that are predisposed to hypertension and unable to naturally produce ACE2.