Grant: Engage Plus Grants Program

Helicobacter pylori (HP) is a bacterium that causes 65% of gastric ulcers and cancers worldwide. Current anti*HP treatments often fail because the bacteria have become resistant and they have serious side effects. We are*looking into using molecules produced by bacteria called Lactobacilli that are a natural component of the*human gastro-intestinal flora to treat and/or prevent Helicobacter infections. The novelty of our approach is to*focus on the molecules that Lactobacilli release (i.e. their secretions) and that could be administered to patients*in a controlled and reliable manner. Using the released molecules also facilitates determining the mechanism of*action. We have compares the secretions produced by 25 Lactobacilli for their anti-HP effects and have*identified very active strains. We propose to determine their mechanisms of action and identify the nature of*the active molecules. This will allow the development of effective formulations that could be used to treat*patients or prevent infections.