In-depth study on nanofibers with new probiotics published in the prestigious Journal of Controlled Release

Researchers from the Departments of Pharmaceutical Technology and Clinical Biochemistry at Faculty of Pharmacy, in cooperation with partners from the Jožef Stefan Institute, published an article entitled " Nanofibers with genotyped Bacillus strains exhibiting antibacterial and immunomodulatory activity " in Journal of Controlled Release (IF = 11,467), a prestigious journal from the area of pharmacetuical technology.

The article is available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconrel.2023.01.082
Graphical abstract: here

The treatment of periodontitis and other dysbiosis-related diseases is often hindered by the inclusion of pathogenic microorganisms in the biofilm, which significantly reduces the efficacy of antimicrobial drugs. Additionally, periodontitis is characterized by inflammation caused by a disregulated host immune response and resulting in the damage to periodontal tissue. Probiotics represent an alternative or supplementary treatment to antimicrobial therapy. Their activity is based on inhibition of pathogen growth, modulation of biofilm composition at the mucosal surfaces and regulation of the inflammatory response. As part of the study presented in the article, two bacterial strains were isolated from the oral microbiota of healthy volunteers and selected based on genomic sequencing showing probiotic potential. The two strains were incorporated into nanofiber mats based on biocompatible polymers that exhibit swelling and thus enable prolonged release of probotics for their local delivery to the periodontal pocket. The probiotic potential of the studied strains was confirmed in vitro based on their antibacterial activity against selected periodontopathogens and immunomodulatory activity. The study represents a comprehensive approach to the preliminary development of products with probiotics comprising of strain selection and their incorporation into the delivery system.