engineering probiotics for stress hormone modulation and diabetes mana
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Engineering Probiotics for Stress Hormone
Modulation and Diabetes Management
Introduction:
Developing probiotics to regulate stress hormones and manage diabetes
serves a cutting-edge initiative at the intersection of healthcare innovation,
microbiome research, and synthetic biology. Using probiotics, researchers aim to
produce bioengineered strains with the ability to regulate stress hormone levels,
which have been linked to the onset and advancement of diabetes (Kandori et
al., 2023). This approach makes use of the current discoveries in the field of
genetic engineering to develop probiotic bacteria with enhanced properties, such
as the ability to produce hormones or enzymes that regulate glucose metabolism
and stress reactions (Jones & Smith, 2022).
Moreover, the incorporation of probiotics into the management of diabetes
exhibits potential in tackling the complex nature of the disease, providing a
possible path for both prevention and treatment. This strategy could help
decrease the adverse impacts of psychosocial stressors on metabolic health by
regulating stress hormone levels with engineered probiotics, enhancing current
therapeutic modalities including insulin therapy and lifestyle interventions (Wang
et al., 2023). Probiotics' adaptability and biocompatibility are further highlighted
by their use as a carrier for medicinal drugs, which allows for focused control to
the gut and reduces systemic side effects (Chen et al., 2022). Furthermore, this
study is in alignment with the growing body of research that shows the
significance of gut microbiota in metabolic disorders, providing a basis for more
individualised treatment that target the microbiota to better manage diabetes
(Gupta et al., 2024).
Problem Definition and justification:
The growing incidence of diabetes and the adverse effects of chronic
stress on metabolic health provide two major global health concerns that are
intersected by the engineering of probiotics for stress hormone modulation and
diabetes treatment. There may be a connection between stress and the
development or worsening of diabetes, as recent studies have clarified the
complex interactions between stress hormones, particularly cortisol, and glucose
metabolism (Kyrou & Tsigos, 2020). Furthermore, it has been shown that dietary
and stress-related disturbance of the gut microbiota has a significant role in the
development of metabolic diseases such diabetes (Guo et al., 2023).
Given the significant impact diabetes and its consequences—such as
cardiovascular disease, neuropathy, and nephropathy-have on public health,
resolving this issue is critical (American Diabetes Association, 2022). Moreover,
the psychological and financial consequences of prolonged stress emphasise how
urgent it is to create efficient treatments that reduce its negative impacts on
metabolic health (Chrousos & Kino, 2021). Researchers aim to provide a targeted
and potentially customised approach to diabetes management by creating
probiotics that can modulate stress hormone levels, addressing both the physiological and psychological aspects of the condition. This study has the
potential to greatly enhance the quality of life of people with diabetes by
expanding the knowledge of the gut-brain axis and opening the door to novel
therapeutic approaches.
Research objectives:
To develop bioengineered probiotics capable of modulating stress hormone levels
for improved diabetes management.
1. To design genetically engineered probiotic strains that have control on stress
chemicals in the gut, such as cortisol and adrenaline.
2. To examine the safety and in vitro effectiveness of the modified probiotics in
regulating stress hormone levels using gut epithelium cell culture models.
3. To examine how modified probiotics might be used therapeutically to improve
metabolic outcomes in preclinical models and reduce diabetes-related
complications.
4. To optimise the stability, viability, and targeted distribution of designed
probiotics to the gastrointestinal tract, improve formulation and delivery
techniques.
Methods and procedures:
1. Culture and grow a suitable probiotic host like lactobacilli or bifidobacteria on
culture media and agar plates for genetic modification
2. Manipulate the host organism's genome using plasmids, restriction enzymes,
PCR kits and CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing tools.
3. Clone target genes to isolate and amplify them to produce or degrade stress
chemicals using cloning kits including DNA ligase, competent cells and
transformation reagents. Analyze DNA fragments using gel electrophoresis.
4. Design genetic construct suitable for expression in the host by combining the
target genes and regulatory elements like promoters and terminators by DNA
synthesis services and plasmid design software.
5. Transform the genetic construct to the probiotic host using electroporation or
bacterial conjugation kits.
6. Using selectable marker genes like antibiotic resistance genes, reporter gene
assays for monitoring gene expression, and PCR to screen the transformed
strains to identify those that have successfully incorporated the desired genetic
constructs.
7. Characterize the engineered probiotic strains using biochemical assay kits like
Cortisol ELISA Kit (e.g., Abcam) and Adrenaline (Epinephrine) ELISA Kit to confirm
their ability to control the target stress chemicals. In addition to the use of
genome sequencing like Illumina MiSeq, Oxford Nanopore MinIONfor to confirm
genomic modifications. 8. Test the engineered probiotic strains in simulated gut model like TIM-1 (TNO
Intestinal Model) to assess their efficacy and stability under conditions mimicking
the human digestive system.
Expected outcomes:
After successfully modifying probiotics that has the potential to provide specific
and tailored therapies for diabetics, addressing the physiological and
psychosocial aspects of the disease. The findings of this research could result in
novel treatment approaches that raise patient quality of life, decrease
complications associated with diabetes, and improve metabolic results.
Furthermore, this study could lead to a better comprehension of the gut-brain
axis and open the door for the creation of probiotic treatments of the next
generation for metabolic diseases and other stress-related diseases.
Resources needed:
Resources
Gut cell lines
Total
Resources
Gut cell lines
Total
Price
Price References:
Chen, Y., Zhang, L., Hong, G., & Zhang, Y. (2022). Engineering probiotics for
targeted drug delivery: Recent advances and future perspectives. Advanced Drug
Delivery Reviews, 179, 114036. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addr.2021.12.013
Gupta, V. K., Paul, S., & Dutta, C. (2024). Gut microbiota: The next-gen target for
therapeutic intervention in metabolic disorders. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 15,
937842. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2024.937842
Jones, A. B., & Smith, C. D. (2022). Engineering probiotic bacteria for stress
hormone modulation: Current progress and future directions. Trends in
Biotechnology.
Advance
online
publication.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tibtech.2022.01.001
Kandori, K., Hirose, Y., & Nakai, K. (2023). Engineering probiotics for stress
hormone modulation and diabetes management: A review of recent
advancements.
Journal
Biotechnology,
351,
1-9.
of
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiotec. 2023.01.001
Wang, Q., Wang, Z., Zhuang, Z., & Li, J. (2023). Engineering probiotics for
diabetes management: Challenges and opportunities. Frontiers in Microbiology,
14, 702813. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2023.702813
American Diabetes Association. (2022). Economic costs of diabetes in the U.S. in
2022. Diabetes Care, 45(3), 732-742. https://doi.org/10.2337/dci22-er03
Chrousos, G. P., & Kino, T. (2021). Glucocorticoid signaling in the cell: Expanding
clinical implications to complex human behavioral and somatic disorders. Annals
of the
York Academy of Sciences, 1518(1), 53-71.
New
https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.14564
Guo, Y., Liu, Y., Zhang, Y., Liu, L., Zhang, Y., Zhang, L., Wen, W., Zhao, S., & Zhang,
L. (2023). Dysbiosis of gut microbiota is closely associated with the pathogenesis
of different types of diabetes mellitus. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, 145,
112442. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2022.112442
Kyrou, I., & Tsigos, C. (2020). Stress hormones: Physiological stress and
regulation of metabolism. Current Opinion in Pharmacology, 50, 196-202.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coph.2020.08.002/n Research Methodology
Spring 2023- 2024
Exercise on Planning Your Research Project
Prepare an outline of a project proposal which includes the following four
sections. Your answers should be fairly short (a paragraph or two), with the total
length of the assignment no longer than 3-4 pages. We are looking for quality of
thought, not quantity.
Project proposals submission will be due on
Submit your assignment by e-mail.
1. Introduction:
Introduce your research project using some related scientific articles and
statistics. Cite the relevant references (use APA format).
2. Problem Definition (Justification)
Describe the problem you plan to address and state why the intended
research is important. This problem should not be too broad, but should
focus on an important research question which can be addressed in your
Master's Program. Cite the relevant references (use APA format).
3. Research Objectives
List the objectives of the proposed research stating a one sentence
general objective (or goal) and a numbered list of specific objectives.
4. Methods and Procedures
Describe how the research will be conducted. Generally, what kind data
will you collect and what analytical techniques or procedures do you
expect to use? 5. Expected outcomes
Briefly describe the expected outcomes of this proposed project.
6. Resources Needed
Briefly consider the kinds of resources you will need to conduct the
research (time, money, information ...) after considering the resources
needed, you may need to make some adjustments in the above sections
to be realistic.
7. References
Format your references using APA style