Train human bacteria like training sheepdogs! Is the "intestinal revolution" from science fiction to reality?

Imagine that you can train the bacteria in your body like you train a sheepdog. This sounds like science fiction, but a breakthrough study published in the journal Nature in July 2024 made this imagination a reality. For the first time, the research team developed a new technology that can precisely edit bacteria directly in the intestines of mice. This technology not only opens a new door for studying intestinal flora, but also provides a new direction for the development of targeted microbiome therapies in the future.

So, how do they do it?

First, the research team designed a special "delivery vehicle" - a modified bacteriophage (a virus that specifically infects bacteria) that was carefully designed to deliver the gene editing tool precisely to the target bacteria.

Second, they used a tool called a base editor, which is like a precision molecular scalpel that can modify specific DNA bases without destroying the overall structure of the DNA.

Transforming bacteriophages into efficient DNA delivery vectors for E. coli (Image from this paper)

Experiments show that the modified bacteriophages can "infect" specific pathogenic bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae according to the needs of researchers.

Using this method, the researchers successfully edited the genes of E. coli directly in the intestines of mice. More excitingly, this editing was efficient and lasting. At the end of the experiment, up to 90% of the target bacteria carried the desired genetic modification.

The potential applications of this technology are truly inspiring. For example:

Ⅰ. Changes in the way of studying intestinal flora: Scientists can study the function of specific genes directly in vivo without isolating bacteria for laboratory cultivation.

II. Developing new treatments: In the future, it may be possible to treat a variety of diseases, ranging from intestinal inflammation to metabolic disorders, by directly editing intestinal bacteria.

III. Improving microbiome transplantation: Through precision editing, we may be able to create “super probiotics” to directly enhance the efficacy of symbiotic microbiome transplantation.

IV. Environmental applications: This technology may also be used to modify microorganisms in the environment to address challenges such as adverse pollution or microecological imbalance.

Of course, this technology still needs further improvement and safety assessment before it can be applied to humans. But it undoubtedly opens a new door for us, allowing us to glimpse the infinite possibilities of future medicine and biotechnology. As the research team said: "Our method avoids the environmental disturbance caused by traditional methods, which is beneficial for both research and potential therapeutic applications."

This study once again proves that ingenious design and precise operation in the microscopic world can bring about great changes in the macroscopic world. With the further development of technology, we may really be able to become "transformers" of the microbial world in our bodies and write a new chapter for the health of species.