Method for diagnosing, preventing, and treating neurological diseases
Inventors
Assignees
US Department of Veterans Affairs
Publication Number
US-11173150-B2
Publication Date
2021-11-16
Expiration Date
2031-05-26
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Abstract
The invention provides for methods of treating autism associated with Desulfovibrio overgrowth in the gastrointestinal tract of a patient, said method comprising administering to the patient suffering from said autism a treatment course of aztreonam in an amount effective to treat autism in the patient, thereby treating autism.
Core Innovation
The invention provides methods for treating autism associated with Desulfovibrio overgrowth in the gastrointestinal tract by administering a treatment course of aztreonam or vancomycin in an amount effective to treat autism in the patient. The treatment may further involve administration of beta-lactamase inhibitors, probiotics, vaccines, bacteriophage therapy, or probiotic repopulation of the gastrointestinal tract after antimicrobial treatment. The approach targets abnormal proliferation of certain microbial agents in the intestine which may produce neurotoxins or disrupt metabolic processes involved in neurological manifestations.
This method addresses the disruption or overgrowth of specific microbes such as Desulfovibrio and Clostridium species in the gastrointestinal flora, which is hypothesized to contribute to neurological disorders including autism. Treatment aims to inhibit or eliminate these abnormal microbial agents and repopulate the gut flora with normal, beneficial microbes. Also included are diagnostic methods for detecting abnormal microorganisms and their toxins in patient samples and vaccine approaches for preventing or limiting disease by eliciting mucosal immune responses against microbial toxins.
Claims Coverage
The patent includes one independent claim focused on a method to treat autism associated with Desulfovibrio overgrowth by administering vancomycin, with several dependent claims specifying adjunctive treatments and probiotic compositions.
Method of treating autism with vancomycin
A method of treating autism associated with Desulfovibrio overgrowth by administering to the patient a treatment course of vancomycin in an amount effective to treat the autism.
Use of beta-lactamase inhibitors with treatment
Administration of a beta-lactamase inhibitor selected from clavulanic acid, tazobactam, sulbactam, LK-157, or others concurrently with vancomycin.
Probiotic administration alongside antimicrobial treatment
Administration of a probiotic or probiotic group comprising bacteria that compete with Desulfovibrio for nutrients or inhibit its growth, including a broad list of gut microbial species representative of normal human flora.
Definition of probiotic mixtures reflecting normal colon proportions
Using probiotic mixtures composed of one or more bacterial species in proportions found normally in the human colon, encompassing up to 1,000 or more bacterial species including multiple phyla and genera commonly present in healthy gut flora.
Identification of Desulfovibrio species linked to autism
Desulfovibrio overgrowth is defined as increased fraction of Desulfovibrio in total bacterial flora from autistic patients compared to controls, specifically including Desulfovibrio desulfuricans, fairfieldensis, piger, intestinalis, and vulgaris species and combinations thereof.
The claims collectively cover a method for treating autism linked to Desulfovibrio overgrowth using vancomycin therapy optionally combined with beta-lactamase inhibitors and probiotic compositions that restore normal gut flora, identifying specific Desulfovibrio species associated with the condition.
Stated Advantages
Improved neurological function through inhibition or elimination of overgrown pathogenic intestinal species associated with autism.
Methods allow targeted treatment reducing disruption to normal flora by employing selective antimicrobials and subsequent probiotic repopulation.
Vaccination strategies can prevent neurological disorders mediated by microbial toxins by eliciting local immune responses in the gut.
Diagnostic methods enable detection of abnormal microbial agents or their toxins, supporting early and accurate diagnosis.
Documented Applications
Treatment of autism, especially regressive or late onset autism associated with overgrowth of Desulfovibrio species in the gastrointestinal tract.
Diagnosis and treatment of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders with a gastrointestinal microbial etiology including attention deficit disorder, depression, bipolar disorder, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Tourette's syndrome, schizophrenia, Rhett's syndrome, pervasive development disorder, and multiple sclerosis.
Treatment or prevention of gastrointestinal disorders associated with microbial imbalance including inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease, and prevention of colon cancer linked to abnormal bacterial presence.
Screening for compounds that inhibit Desulfovibrio and thereby inhibit autism, by testing molecules' ability to inhibit Desulfovibrio growth in patient samples.
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