###Harnessing bioaccumulation of drugs to treat inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract
Project ID: 2228bd1179 (You will need this ID for your application)
Research Theme: Healthcare Technologies
UCL Lead department: School of Pharmacy
Lead Supervisor: Simon Gaisford
Project Summary:
The gut microbiome is known to interact with over 150 drugs. The most reported interaction is microbial drug metabolism, which can lead to clinically important alterations in drug bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy. However, in 2021 a new type of drug-microbiome interaction was discovered, known as bioaccumulation. Bioaccumulation involves intestinal bacteria taking up and storing drugs intracellularly. Very little is known about this phenomenon, specifically regarding its mechanisms or impact on patients. As such, this project will uncover the mechanisms underlying drug bioaccumulation and will exploit the process for modified release of drugs for local gastrointestinal action. The project will have two key work packages: 1.) delineate how drugs are taken up by intestinal bacteria and the factors that trigger their release, using machine learning and molecular modelling, and 2.) develop bioengineered bacterial drug depot systems that release drugs at a tuned rate upon entering inflamed regions of the gastrointestinal tract. Together, these packages will create new knowledge on drug-microbiome interactions that will be translated to pharmaceutical products for patients.There is currently significant unmet need in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) treatment, as many patients suffer frequent and debilitating relapses despite being prescribed expensive state-of-the-art drugs. The products that are developed in this project will optimise the efficacy of IBD drugs by delivering them via engineered bacteria at the site of disease and with release rates tuned to achieve desired pharmacokinetics. More effective treatment of IBD will improve patients’ quality of life and save healthcare costs arising from IBD relapses and surgeries.