- The 'Christensenella minuta' bacteria identified by an IATA-CSIC team will be applied in drugs for the therapy of mood disorders
- Researchers study the role of this and other gut bacteria in the gut-brain axis and mental health
Researchers from the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) have patented an intestinal bacteria (Christensenella minuta) with therapeutic applications for treating mood disorders such as depression and anxiety. This technology has been developed by the team of researcher Yolanda Sanz from the Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA) and has already been licensed to LNC Therapeutics, a French biotechnology company specializing in the research and development of innovative drugs in the area of intestinal microbiology.
"Research on the two-way communication system through the so-called gut-brain axis is a growing field of research. It has been shown that the intestine affects the brain, and vice versa, through immunological, endocrine and neural pathways," says Yolanda Sanz. "Numerous studies are suggesting that the intestinal microbiota is involved in regulating this axis and may play an important role in disorders affecting the brain such as neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases, including mood disorders. This evidence offers promising new therapeutic approaches to promote mental health," Sanz adds.
Bacteria from the Christensenellaceae family are relevant components of the intestinal microbiota of healthy individuals, and they promise to be an important source of innovative treatments. "Their use is being explored for the treatment of chronic diseases, such as obesity and its metabolic co-morbidities, and as a novelty, in this case, for the treatment of mood disorders," says Sanz.
This agreement will allow LNC Therapeutics to continue advancing the research, manufacturing and worldwide marketing of therapy developed for the treatment of disorders such as depression and anxiety.
"The alliance with LNC Therapeutics will allow us to make faster progress in discovering the mechanisms by which the patented Christensenella bacteria exerts an antidepressant and anxiolytic effect through endocrine and neural pathways," said Sanz.
This patent is the result of the results of the European project MyNewGut, coordinated by Dr. Sanz, and in which researchers from the team, such as Ana Agustí, have collaborated and have been key in the development of the patent. The MyNewGut project has made it possible to generate a biobank of human intestinal bacteria, which constitutes a valuable biological material that they are exploring for its potential application to combat other pathologies, such as obesity and its metabolic complications (such as the metabolic syndrome and diabetes). These findings could have an important relevance in the future of nutrition and clinical practice.