Edible bacteria

A yogurt-based treatment for diabetes that uses non-harmful bacteria is being tested on diabetic mice. Gut microbes that have been engineered to make a specific protein are helping regulate blood sugar in the rodents, according to research presented at the American Chemical Society conference in Washington, D.C. Scientists hope the treatment might one day provide an alternative for people with diabetes.

The research, which is still in its early stages, represents a new take on age-old supplements - probiotics - which are composed of non-harmful bacteria. Often found in yogurt, these live microorganisms are ingested to promote health. New understanding of these microbes is allowing them to be engineered to help alleviate specific ailments such as diabetes, cholera and even tooth decay.

"The concept of using bacteria to help perform (or fix) human disorders is extremely creative and interesting," said Kelvin Lee, a chemical engineer at the University of Delaware, in Maryland. "Even if it does not directly lead to a solution to the question of diabetes, it opens up new avenues of thought in a more general sense," says Lee, commenting on the research.

Source: gizmag.comAdded: 9 September 2009