Engineering tailored biotherapeutics to target vaginal pathogens

Project partners: University of Glasgow & CC Bio

Project focus area: Health

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a condition that affects up to 30% of women worldwide. It is strongly linked with a change in the microbes present in the vaginal microbiome. Notably this is a reduction in favourable lactobacilli and an increase in other bacteria such as Gardnerella vaginalis. Women who suffer from BV have an increased risk of adverse health outcomes including sexually transmitted infections, fertility issues, and preterm birth. Current treatment relies on antibiotic treatment, however recurrence is highly prevalent.

CC Bio has developed a bacteriolytic enzyme (“lysin”) that shows strong antimicrobial activity against Gardnerella when expressed in Bacillus subtilis. This project aimed to express this same lysin in Lactobacillus species rather than B. subtilis. These are the dominant beneficial bacteria in the vaginal microbiome and so would create a more targeted and sustainable approach to managing vaginal health. We successfully recloned one lysin gene from its host plasmid into a more suitable expression plasmid for lactobacilli. Attempts to introduce this new construct into a Lactobacillus host are still ongoing.

For more information

For more information on this project, contact us, or view all Engineering Biology SPARK Award winners.

This project funding is part of the Engineering Biology Innovation Network, led by Innovate UK Business Connect in collaboration with Innovate UK and UKRI’s Technology Mission Fund. The network’s goal is to progress innovations, create a commercially focused community and foster new consortia to advance innovations towards commercial applications.