Probiotics for the Management of Infectious Diseases: Reviewing the State of the Art

Abstract

This review aims to provide insight into the potential of probiotics as a clinical modality targeted at infectious diseases by creating a comprehensive overview of the state of the art of research and development efforts as shown by patents and clinical trials of the past 20 years. Data were retrieved from patent and clinical trial databases to reflect the long- and short-term developments of probiotics research. The data were analyzed to extract information on the total number of patents and trials for each indication, application date and location, and applicant/sponsor type. A total of 80 infectious diseases were investigated, precipitating in 789 patents and 602 clinical trials for 67 indications studied as targets of probiotics. An increasing trend was seen for the number of patents and clinical trials that were applied for since 1999 with the highest number of patents and clinical trials targeted to digestive tract, respiratory, and urogenital indications. Overall, research demonstrated a substantial interest in probiotics targeting infectious diseases, which was in line with reported unmet needs and global probiotics sales estimates. However, the declining rate of translation from patents to clinical trials indicates that there are some barriers obstructing the research process.

Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry Profiling of Volatile Metabolites Produced by Some Bacillus spp. and Evaluation of Their Antibacterial and Antibiotic Activities

“…Nowadays, a novel strategy for the management and prevention of numerous infectious illnesses is the use of bacterial probiotic strains and their metabolic products [10]. Probiotics from the Bacillus genus have been shown to exhibit antibacterial effects in experiments on animals [11,12].…”

Nanotechnology in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Antibiotic-Resistant Infections

“…Given the imbalance in the relatively slow production of new antimicrobials, from the pharmaceutical pipeline and the rapid development of AMR, new non-classical therapeutic options could be of great use in the fight against pathogens with significant AMR [128]. Several therapeutic strategies have been employed in this direction involving natural and chemical products, probiotics and prebiotics, antimicrobial peptides, bacteriophages, predatory bacteria, immunotherapy, vaccines, and other methods [10,11,[129][130][131][132][133]. Nanotechnology may offer valuable tools in this fight against pathogens harboring significant AMR.…”

Microbiome Dynamics: A Paradigm Shift in Combatting Infectious Diseases

“…For instance, certain strains of bacteria within the microbiome may enhance or inhibit the colonization and transmission of pathogens [211,212]. Understanding these dynamics can inform infection prevention strategies, such as the use of probiotics or targeted hygiene practices, to reduce the risk of disease transmission [89,213]. Additionally, studying the impact of the microbiome on treatment outcomes at a population level can help identify patterns and trends that guide public health interventions and resource allocation.…”

“…Probiotics have shown promise in preventing and treating various infectious diseases by restoring the balance of beneficial bacteria in the microbiome. For example, studies have demonstrated that certain strains of probiotics can reduce the duration and severity of gastrointestinal infections caused by pathogens such as C. difficile and Salmonella [213,249]. Another innovative approach involves the use of FMT, a procedure where fecal matter from a healthy donor is transferred to a recipient with a disrupted microbiome.…”