22 June 2007

2 minute read

Oceania

Agri-Biotech have asked farmers to participate in trials by immunising their cows with special implants that help the cow produce antibodies to ulcer-causing bacteria. It is though that the milk of these cows will also have the same antibodies that will work with human consumption.

“Popi Milk” is proposed to be an orally-administrable antibody cocktail in milk which is effective against Helicobacter pylori, a bacteria responsible for causing stomach ulcers and can ultimately contribute to stomach cancer. Antibodies that show specific binding and neutralization of bacteria will be produced in the milk of dairy animals. This dairy product will be manufactured in herds in areas of the world where the treatment of H.pylori is a major health cost.

The global opportunity for treatment of infection using a food, is substantial since:

(a) H. pylori is arguably the most common chronic bacterial infection worldwide.

(b) The disease is ubiquitous, with up to 50% to 80% of the population in areas of some countries harbouring the microbe.

(c) H. pylori is considered to be the second leading cause of cancer deaths in many developing countries.

(d) The World Health Organisation (WHO) has classified H. pylori as a Class I carcinogen due to mounting evidence linking the chronic gastric infection caused by the bacterium with ulcers, non-ulcer dyspepsia, lymphoma.

(e) The two primary reasons for therapy failure in infected populations are poor compliance (ie. discontinuation of medication by subject), and the development of antibiotic resistance.

Agri-Biotech executive director Guan Tay says the idea can be expanded to sheep and goats as well.

"Insulin can be put into biodegradable pellets, so we've used the same technology, rather than release a drug or insulin we are releasing an antigen, it allows our technology to be transferred into the paddock and farmers can immunise cattle and induce the production of antibodies,"

TheCattleSite News Desk