Recent Developments in Microbiome Therapeutics Recent-Developments-in-Microbiome-Therapeutics-Nov | Page 7

Another company working in the acne domain is AOBiome Therapeutics 24 , a clinical-stage company that has been
developing its patented microbiome-targeted therapies for systemic and local inflammatory conditions of the skin.
In October 2017, the company reported positive efficacy results for the Phase 2B clinical trials of its Ammonia
Oxidizing Bacteria (AOB) product candidate, Nitrosomonas eutropha, for the treatment of acne. The company is
conducting clinical trials for its AOB to fight other non-skin related diseases as well (elaborated in later sections).
In January 2017, iCarbonX, China’s largest health data collection and analysis platform, invested $30 million in
AOBiome, raising its total funding to $38.7 million.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
The human urogenital tract’s health is largely dependent on its microbial inhabitants. A woman’s urogenital
bacteria, primarily Lactobacilli, have been known to play protective as well as preventative roles. In February 2016,
researchers from the University of Bologna, Italy, published the results from an in vitro study 25 about the effects
of Lactobacillus crispatus on Chlamydia trachomatis. It was found that high levels of L. crispatus inhibited the
infectivity of C. trachomatis. This finding could be a breakthrough for Chlamydia treatments, since it is the leading
cause of sexually transmitted bacterial infections with nearly 100 million new cases each year.
Infant Health
A major domain of focus for microbiome therapeutics is neonatal or infant health. It has been established that
several metabolic and immune disorders in adult life arise due to a predisposition to these diseases as a result
of dysbiosis in the neonatal intestinal colonization of bacteria. Thus, scientists are now focusing on fixing this
dysbiosis early in life.
In February 2017, a group of scientists from the United Kingdom, published the findings from a study 26 conducted
to identify the effect of Bifidobacterium lactis NCC2818 subsp. lactis on the intestinal microbiota, metabolism and
mucosal immune system of neonatal piglets. It was found that the probiotic supplementation reinforced intestinal
barrier integrity and had significant effects on the development of the mucosal immune system and metabolic
function. The study was partly funded by Nestlé.
24 https://aobiome.com/
25 Nardini, P. et al (2016), Lactobacillus crispatus inhibits the infectivity of Chlamydia trachomatis elementary bodies,
in vitro study. Scientific Reports 6, Article Number: 29024. doi: 10.1038/srep29024
26 Lewis M.C. et al (2017), Early intervention with Bifidobacterium lactis NCC2818 modulates the host-microbe interface
independent of the sustained changes induced by the neonatal environment. Scientific Reports 7, Article Number: 5310.
doi:10.1038/s41598-017-05689-z
7
Recent Developments in Microbiome Therapeutics