Soon a vaccine to combat obesity and chronic inflammatory diseases?

This is a very promising discovery made by researchers at the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm) in Cochin, Paris. They published an article in Nature Communications⁽¹⁾ on December 10, 2019 to detail their research on the gut microbiota.

Intestinal flora disorders: chronic diseases and excess weight

Chronic bowel diseases are a real scourge for people who suffer from them. One of the most famous of these is probably Crohn's disease, which causes severe abdominal pain and has no long-term cure. The majority of this type of chronic disease is due to persistent inflammation in the digestive system. By acting on microorganisms, it may be possible to prevent these infections by manufacturing natural “antibodies.”

People who are diabetic and/or overweight are also affected. In fact, some of them have poor-quality intestinal flora, with very little diversity in microorganisms and bacteria. Therefore, they may develop metabolic disorders directly linked to weight gain and even obesity. Of course, this factor alone is not enough, and is often associated with poor nutrition and lack of physical activity.

What are microorganisms and how can we act on them?

Microorganisms actually represent all the non-pathogenic bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi that live with us. There are different types of microorganisms: skin, Oralvagina…the most important of which are intestinal microorganisms (formerly called “intestinal flora”).

These intestinal flora, also called “Second brain” Consists of 100,000 billion (Yes 10¹⁴) of bacteria. It's a delicate balance between the different types of bacteria that exist in the large intestine throughout our lives. Some are intended for digestion by breaking down ingested and pre-digested fiber. Others are involved in regenerating the intestinal wall, fighting “bad bacteria,” preventing infection, and synthesizing new molecules, such as Vitamin Ketc. Some people with chronic intestinal diseases usually have too many flagellum-producing bacteria. This substance allows pathogens to pass through the protective lining of the intestine, causing inflammation.

The “miracle vaccine” designed by Inserm researchers aims to prevent this type of reaction. The principle is simple: flagellin is injected into the patient's body so that he or she forms antibodies against flagellin in response. This subsequently leads to decreased bacterial attacks, and thus decreased inflammation. The vaccine has so far been tested on mice and has had a very positive response. In addition, the mice that ate a high-fat diet did not become obese thanks to a very good response to the intestinal flora.

Thus, this vaccine opens very good prospects for people with chronic intestinal diseases (200 thousand people in France) and those who are overweight (6.5 million people in France). Research continues to expand the vaccine's applications to include humans.

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