University College Cork

Enterprise Ireland

Alimentary Health Limited

Teagasc, the Agriculture and Food Development Authority

Enterprise Ireland (trading As Bioresearch Ireland)

Gerald Christopher O'Sullivan

John Kevin Collins

Liam Diarmuid O'Mahony

Fergus Shanahan

Sharon McKenna

Tracey O'Donovan

Barry Kiely

Douwe Van Sinderen

Peter McGeehin

Declan Soden

Anthony Morrissey

Reynolds Paul Ross

Christopher Collins

Catherine Gerardine Stanton

Gerald Francis Fitzgerald

Marian Mary Geraldine O'Sullivan

Gerardine Mary Thornton

Andrew Watson

Denton A M Prior

John Piggott

Colum Dunne

Michelle Cronin

Mark Tangney

Marian Mary Geraldine O'SULLIVAN

The invention is based on the surprising finding that treatment with a chemotherapeutic agent such as 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and an autophagy inducer effectively inhibit the continued growth of, and prevent the recovery following drug withdrawal, of cancer cells. In vivo, drug resistance from a failure to adequately engage in apoptotic programmed cell death leads to a recurrence of cancer and tumors can remain dormant for periods of time before re-emerging as drug resistant metastases. It has been hypothesized that autophagy (Type II cell death) may help cancer cells survive in response to growth limiting conditions, such as nutrient depletion, hypoxia, absence of growth factor, or presence of cytotoxic drug. LiCl is a known autophagy inducer and accelerates cell survival to autophagic programmed cell death.

Method for the treatment of cancer

The current invention relates to the use of a bacterial species in the preparation of a composition adapted for oral administration for the delivery of an agent to a site in the body. The site in the body may be an organ or a tumour site. The bacterial species is a food grade, non-pathogenic, gram-positive bacteria capable of anaerobic growth.

Orally administered bacteria as vehicles for systemic delivery of agents

Apparatus () for carrying out a prophylactic or treatment procedure on tissue comprises a device () having a chamber () and at least one active element such as an electrode () within the chamber (). The chamber () has an opening () through which tissue is drawn into the chamber (). Means for drawing the tissue into the chamber may comprise a vacuum lumen with vacuum orifices () in the chamber (). Treatment such as electroporation may be applied to tissue in the chamber ().

Apparatus for use in the prophylaxis or treatment of tissue

The invention is based on the surprising finding that treatment with a chemotherapeutic agent such as 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and an autophagy inducer effectively inhibit the continued growth of, and prevent the recovery following drug withdrawal, of cancer cells. In vivo, drug resistance from a failure to adequately engage in apoptotic programmed cell death leads to a recurrence of cancer and tumours can remain dormant for periods of time before re-emerging as drug resistant metastases. It has been hypothesised that autophagy (Type II cell death) may help cancer cells survive in response to growth limiting conditions, such as nutrient depletion, hypoxia, absence of growth factor, or presence of cytotoxic drug. LiCl is a known autophagy inducer and accelerates cell survival to autophagic programmed cell death.

Astrain, AH102, AH103, AH105, AH109 or AH110 or mutants or variants thereof are useful in the prophylaxis and/or treatment of inflammatory activity especially undesirable gastrointestinal inflammatory activity, such as inflammatory bowel disease or irritable bowel syndrome.

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A strain ofisolated from resected and washed human gastrointestinal tract is significantly immunomodulatory following oral consumption in humans. The strain is useful in the prophylaxis and/or treatment of undesirable inflammatroy activity, especially gastrointestinal inflammatory activity such as inflammatory bowel disease or irritable bowel syndrome. The inflammatory activity may also be due to cancer.

Bifidobacterium in the treatment of inflammatory disease

A strain ofisolated from resected and washed human gastrointestinal tract inhibits a broad range of Gram positive and Gram negative microorganisms and secretes a product having antimicrobial activity into a cell-free supernatant. The activity is produced only by, growing cells and is destroyed by proteinase K and pronase E, the inhibitory properties of the strain and its secretory products being maintained in the presence of physiological concentrations of human bile and human gastric juice. The strain exhibits a broad-spectrum of activity against bacteria including, including methocillin resistant(MRSA), and, but does not inhibit many closely related. An antimicrobial agent is obtained from the strain which has bacteriocin-like properties.

A process for the manufacture of a probiotic cheese, such as Cheddar cheese, comprises adding a 0.0-5.5% inoculum of a strain of, which is non-pathogenic, acid and bile tolerant and adherent to human epithelial cells, as a starter adjunct to cheese milk, saidstrain being capable of growing during the ripening phase to a level of 10cfu/g or greater. Thestrains are found to grow and proliferate to high cell numbers (in excess of 10cfu/g) in the cheese over eight months of ripening, even when added at a relatively low inoculum. The presence of thestrains is found to have negligible effects on cheese composition, flavor and aroma.

Process for the manufacture of probiotic cheese

Growing community of inventors

Cork, Ireland

Gerald Christopher O'Sullivan