Abstract
Since the early observations of Elie Metchnikoff, a wealth of experiments have described the use of selected microorganisms, mainly belonging to the lactic acid bacteria family, for the prevention or treatment of a variety of pathological situations. Nevertheless, the mechanisms underlying the proposed actions remain vastly unknown, partly as a consequence of the complexity of the gastro-intestinal ecosystem with which these biotherapeutic agents are expected to interact, but also because of the increasing variety of strains considered to have potential probiotic characteristics. During the past decades, however, the beneficial effect of specific strains in preventing or treating intestinal disorders has been substantiated by well-controlled clinical trials. Increasing evidence, including human studies, is also supporting the immunomodulatory role attributed to given lactic acid bacterial strains. The desire by consumers to use natural methods for health maintenance rather than long-term chemotherapeutic agents (i.e. antibiotics), linked to their expectation that food becomes a source of prolonged well-being, supports the speculation that the probiotic market will expand rapidly. Much of this growth will also depend on the reliability of claims that these products will bare. Therefore, the legislator will have to provide clear rules and regulations which will depend on measurable biomarkers and criteria based on scientific evidence. These commercial and legislative needs will hopefully provide scientists with the resources necessary to conduct the multidisciplinary research required to establish facts and mechanisms of action for carefully selected probiotic strains. These research results will probably be as essential for the positioning of probiotic preparations as either a food, a food supplement or as pharmaceutical preparation.
Keywords: Probiotics, Biotherapeutic Agents, chemotherapeutic, speculation
Current Pharmaceutical Design
Title: Probiotics as Biotherapeutic Agents: Present Knowledge and Future Prospects
Volume: 9 Issue: 2
Author(s): A. Mercenier, S. Pavan and B. Pot
Affiliation:
Keywords: Probiotics, Biotherapeutic Agents, chemotherapeutic, speculation
Abstract: Since the early observations of Elie Metchnikoff, a wealth of experiments have described the use of selected microorganisms, mainly belonging to the lactic acid bacteria family, for the prevention or treatment of a variety of pathological situations. Nevertheless, the mechanisms underlying the proposed actions remain vastly unknown, partly as a consequence of the complexity of the gastro-intestinal ecosystem with which these biotherapeutic agents are expected to interact, but also because of the increasing variety of strains considered to have potential probiotic characteristics. During the past decades, however, the beneficial effect of specific strains in preventing or treating intestinal disorders has been substantiated by well-controlled clinical trials. Increasing evidence, including human studies, is also supporting the immunomodulatory role attributed to given lactic acid bacterial strains. The desire by consumers to use natural methods for health maintenance rather than long-term chemotherapeutic agents (i.e. antibiotics), linked to their expectation that food becomes a source of prolonged well-being, supports the speculation that the probiotic market will expand rapidly. Much of this growth will also depend on the reliability of claims that these products will bare. Therefore, the legislator will have to provide clear rules and regulations which will depend on measurable biomarkers and criteria based on scientific evidence. These commercial and legislative needs will hopefully provide scientists with the resources necessary to conduct the multidisciplinary research required to establish facts and mechanisms of action for carefully selected probiotic strains. These research results will probably be as essential for the positioning of probiotic preparations as either a food, a food supplement or as pharmaceutical preparation.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Mercenier A., Pavan S. and Pot B., Probiotics as Biotherapeutic Agents: Present Knowledge and Future Prospects, Current Pharmaceutical Design 2003; 9 (2) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1381612033392224
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1381612033392224 |
Print ISSN 1381-6128 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1873-4286 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
"Tuberculosis Prevention, Diagnosis and Drug Discovery"
The Nobel Prize-winning discoveries of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and streptomycin have enabled an appropriate diagnosis and an effective treatment of tuberculosis (TB). Since then, many newer diagnosis methods and drugs have been saving millions of lives. Despite advances in the past, TB is still a leading cause of infectious disease mortality ...read more
Current Pharmaceutical challenges in the treatment and diagnosis of neurological dysfunctions
Neurological dysfunctions (MND, ALS, MS, PD, AD, HD, ALS, Autism, OCD etc..) present significant challenges in both diagnosis and treatment, often necessitating innovative approaches and therapeutic interventions. This thematic issue aims to explore the current pharmaceutical landscape surrounding neurological disorders, shedding light on the challenges faced by researchers, clinicians, and ...read more
Emerging and re-emerging diseases
Faced with a possible endemic situation of COVID-19, the world has experienced two important phenomena, the emergence of new infectious diseases and/or the resurgence of previously eradicated infectious diseases. Furthermore, the geographic distribution of such diseases has also undergone changes. This context, in turn, may have a strong relationship with ...read more
Melanoma and Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer Treatment: Standard of Care and Recent Advances
In this thematic issue, we aim to provide a standard of care of the diagnosis and treatment of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer. The editor will invite authors from different countries who will write review articles of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers. The Diagnosis, Staging, Surgical Treatment, Non-Surgical Treatment all ...read more
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
- Announcements
Related Articles
-
Sympathetic and Baroreflex Function in Hypertension: Implications for Current and New Drugs
Current Pharmaceutical Design Nutraceuticals and their Novel Drug Delivery System: A Boon to Human Health
Current Nutrition & Food Science Evidence on the Protective Role of High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) in HIV-Infected Individuals
Current Vascular Pharmacology Beyond the HapMap Genotypic Data: Prospects of Deep Resequencing Projects
Current Bioinformatics The Progress Towards the Development of DHQO Derivatives and Related Analogues with Inotropic Effects
Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry Cysteine Proteinases of Trypanosome Parasites Novel Targets for Chemotherapy
Current Drug Targets Current Approaches for the Treatment with Thyroid Hormone Analogs
Recent Patents on Endocrine, Metabolic & Immune Drug Discovery Thrombolytic Therapy in Acute Ischemic Stroke - Basic Concepts
Current Vascular Pharmacology Treatment of Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Women
Current Medicinal Chemistry Fragment Pharmacophore-Based Screening: An Efficient Approach for Discovery of New Inhibitors of Toll-Like Receptor 5
Combinatorial Chemistry & High Throughput Screening The Prevalence, Morbidities, and Treatments of Insomnia
CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets Exercise Prescription for Post-Menopausal Women with Obesity
Current Women`s Health Reviews A Systematic Review of Digital and Computer-Based Alcohol Intervention Programs in Primary Care
Current Drug Abuse Reviews Nanocarriers for Tracking and Treating Diseases
Current Medicinal Chemistry Triglycerides and Vascular Risk: Insights from Epidemiological Data and Interventional Studies
Current Drug Targets Metallocarboxypeptidases: Emerging Drug Targets in Biomedicine
Current Pharmaceutical Design Ascorbic Acid: Its Role in Immune System and Chronic Inflammation Diseases
Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry Is the Use of Proton-pump Inhibitors a Risk Factor for Alzheimer’s Disease? Molecular Mechanisms and Clinical Implications
Current Medicinal Chemistry Morbidity and Mortality Associated with Pharmacotherapy. Evolution and Current Concept of Drug-Related Problems
Current Pharmaceutical Design Inflammation as a Therapeutic Target in Acute Ischemic Stroke Treatment
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry