Compositions comprising bacterial strains

Abstract

The invention provides compositions comprising bacterial strains for treating and preventing inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.

1 .- 35 . (canceled) 
     
     
         36 . A method comprising:
 administering to a subject with a condition in need thereof a pharmaceutical composition that comprises a  Parabacteroides  bacteria strain, wherein said  Parabacteroides  bacteria strain is of the species  Parabacteroides distasonis, Parabacteroides merdae , or  Parabacteroides goldsteinii ; and   wherein said administering is effective to reduce the level of IL-6 in said subject relative to the level of IL-6 before said subject is administered said pharmaceutical composition.   
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein said  Parabacteroides  bacteria strain is of the species  Parabacteroides distasonis.    
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein said  Parabacteroides  bacteria strain is of the species  Parabacteroides merdae.    
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein said  Parabacteroides  bacteria strain is of the species  Parabacteroides goldsteinii.    
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein said administering is further effective to reduce the level of IL-17A, IL-17B, IL-17C, IL-17D, IL-17E, IL-17F, IFN-γ, IL-10, or TNFα relative to the level of IL-17A, IL-17B, IL-17C, IL-17D, IL-17E, IL-17F, IFN-γ, IL-10, or TNFα before said subject is administered said pharmaceutical composition. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein said condition comprises uveitis, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, cancer, neuromyelitis optica, psoriasis, systemic lupus erythematosus, celiac disease, an asthma, allergic asthma, neutrophilic asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), scleritis, vasculitis, Behcet's disease, atherosclerosis, atopic dermatitis, emphysema, periodontitis, allergic rhinitis, or allograft rejection. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein said condition is arthritis. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein said arthritis is osteoarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, spondyloarthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, or juvenile idiopathic arthritis. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein said condition is cancer. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein said cancer is breast cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, or ovarian cancer. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein said condition is asthma. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein said  Parabacteroides  bacteria strain is lyophilized. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein said  Parabacteroides  bacteria strain has a Sau3AI DNA restriction pattern that is the same as a Sau3AI DNA restriction pattern for a biotype of the  Parabacteroides distasonis  strain MRX005 deposited as NCIMB 42382 as determined by amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein said  Parabacteroides  bacteria strain comprises a 16s rRNA gene sequence with at least 95% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:9 as determined by a Smith-Waterman homology search algorithm using an affine gap search with a gap open penalty of 12 and a gap extension penalty of 2, and a BLOSUM matrix of 62. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein said  Parabacteroides  bacteria strain comprises the 16s rRNA gene sequence of SEQ ID NO:9. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein said pharmaceutical composition further comprises a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient, diluent, or carrier. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein said pharmaceutical composition is encapsulated. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein said pharmaceutical composition is in the form of a tablet, capsule, or powder. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein said  Parabacteroides  bacteria strain is present in an amount that comprises from about 1×10 3  to about 1×10 11  CFU/g of said  Parabacteroides  bacteria strain with respect to a total weight of said pharmaceutical composition. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein said  Parabacteroides  bacteria strain is present in an amount that comprises from about 1×10 7  to about 1×10 10  CFU/g of said  Parabacteroides  bacteria strain with respect to a total weight of said pharmaceutical composition.