Lipotheichoic acid from lactic acid bacteria and its use to modulate immune responses mediated by gram-negative bacteria, potential pathogenic gram-positive bacteria

Abstract

The invention relates to a composition for modulating the immune responses induced by Gram negative bacteria, potential pathogenic Gram positive bacteria and/or their derivatives, comprising lipoteichoic acid from lactic acid bacteria as an active ingredient. It also relates to the use of a lipoteichoic acid from lactic acid bacteria as an active ingredient and/or lactic acid bacteria producing it and/or its supernatant of culture, in the manufacture of a medicament, an oral or topical product for cosmetic, dermatological or opthalmological applications, a food or petfood composition for modulating bacterial colonisaion, immune responses and decreasing the inflammatory processes, associated with bacterially mediated disease and infection in the gastrointestinal tract, bone, skin, eye, ear, lung and rectal cavity. The invention also relates to lipoteichoic acid selected thereof.

The invention is claimed as follows: 
     
         1 . A composition comprising lipoteichoic acid (LTA) from  Lactobacillus acidophilus  CNCM 1-2332 in a therapeutically effective amount for reducing inflammatory processes associated with bacteria. 
     
     
         2 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the LTA is present in a therapeutically effective amount for treatment of a condition selected from the group consisting of bacterial colonization, bacterial infection, inflammatory processes induced by bacterial colonization, inflammatory processes induced by bacterial infection, and combinations thereof 
     
     
         3 . The composition of  claim 2 , wherein the condition is located in an area selected from the group consisting of the gastrointestinal tract, a bone, an eye, a lung, an ear, the oral cavity, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the therapeutically effective amount of the LTA does not induce the release of proinflammatory cytokines from intestinal epithelial cells. 
     
     
         5 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the LTA has been isolated from  Lactobacillus acidophilus  CNCM 1-2332. 
     
     
         6 . The composition of  claim 1 , comprising a component selected from the group consisting of  Lactobacillus acidophilus  CNCM 1-2332 producing the LTA and a supernatant of culture from  Lactobacillus acidophilus  CNCM 1-2332 producing the LTA. 
     
     
         7 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the composition has a form selected from the group consisting of a medicament, an oral product, a topical product, a food product, and a pet food composition. 
     
     
         8 . The composition of  claim 1 , comprising sCD14. 
     
     
         9 . The composition of  claim 8 , wherein the composition is a dairy product comprising milk that provides the sCD14. 
     
     
         10 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the LTA is a lipid moiety of lipoteichoic acid. 
     
     
         11 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the composition has a form of a food composition and comprises the LTA in an amount which corresponds to an amount found in lipoteichoic acid-containing bacteria from 10 5  cfu/g to about 10 11  cfu/g of the composition. 
     
     
         12 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the composition has a form of a pharmaceutical preparation and comprises the LTA in an amount which corresponds to an amount found in lipoteichoic acid-containing bacteria from 10 7  cfu/g to about 10 9  cfu/g of the composition.