Evaluation of the Safety and Effectiveness of a Probiotic Bacterium to Boost the Immune Response to Influenza Vaccines

Summary

This project aims to test the hypothesis that oral consumption of a specific strain of the probiotic bacterium Lactobacillus fermentum (trademarked PCC®) is able to significantly enhance the immune response to a vaccine for influenza.

Timeline

Start

2006-03

Primary completion

—

Completion

2007-01

Publications

• Background Mohamadzadeh M, Olson S, Kalina WV, Ruthel G, Demmin GL, Warfield KL, Bavari S, Klaenhammer TR. Lactobacilli activate human dendritic cells that skew T cells toward T helper 1 polarization. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2005 Feb 22;102(8):2880-5. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0500098102. Epub 2005 Feb 14.
• Background Prescott SL, Dunstan JA, Hale J, Breckler L, Lehmann H, Weston S, Richmond P. Clinical effects of probiotics are associated with increased interferon-gamma responses in very young children with atopic dermatitis. Clin Exp Allergy. 2005 Dec;35(12):1557-64. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2222.2005.02376.x.
• Background Weston S, Halbert A, Richmond P, Prescott SL. Effects of probiotics on atopic dermatitis: a randomised controlled trial. Arch Dis Child. 2005 Sep;90(9):892-7. doi: 10.1136/adc.2004.060673. Epub 2005 Apr 29.
• Background Qi H, Denning TL, Soong L. Differential induction of interleukin-10 and interleukin-12 in dendritic cells by microbial toll-like receptor activators and skewing of T-cell cytokine profiles. Infect Immun. 2003 Jun;71(6):3337-42. doi: 10.1128/IAI.71.6.3337-3342.2003.

Drugs

Indications