The Probiotics and Microbiota-Host Interaction Group and the Molecular Biology Group published in the journal “Beneficial Microbes“ a paper entitled „Beneficial effects of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum BGPKM22 manifest only in interaction with healthy, but not with diseased human bronchial epithelial cells“.

The beneficial bacterium Lactiplantibacillus plantarum BGPKM22 shows a much stronger positive effect on healthy lung cells than on diseased cells. In healthy cells, it leads to changes in the expression of many more genes than when it is in contact with diseased cells. Also, the bacterium attaches better to healthy cells and thrives better in that environment. It is interesting that the bacterium, when in contact with healthy cells, produces a protective layer, while it does not do so in interaction with diseased cells. This reduction in the positive effects of bacteria in contact with diseased cells may help explain why lung microbiota imbalance occurs in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

This publication resulted from the project „LABLUNG - Mechanistic insight into the anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects of lactic acid bacteria in in vitro models of chronic lung diseases“ coordinated by Dr. Marija Stanković and funded within the PROMIS program by the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia.