Decolonization of Enterobacteria, Such as Klebsiella Pneumoniae, from the Gut Using Strains of Klebsiella Oxytoca

Simple SummaryContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

This invention uses specific strains of the bacterium Klebsiella oxytoca as a probiotic to clear dangerous, drug-resistant bacteria — particularly multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae — from the human gut. The approach works by introducing a harmless relative of the pathogen that competes with and displaces the harmful strain through a process called bacterial interference or competitive exclusion. Treatment can be applied either after a patient has already been colonized by a resistant pathogen, or preventively to stop re-colonization following antibiotic therapy, which typically disrupts the normal gut microbiome and leaves patients vulnerable.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Clearing multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae from the guts of hospitalized patients in intensive care units to prevent life-threatening infections.
• Preventing re-colonization by resistant Enterobacteria in immunocompromised patients (e.g., transplant or chemotherapy recipients) after antibiotic treatment has disrupted their gut flora.
• Decolonization protocols in long-term care facilities where MDR Enterobacteria spread easily among vulnerable residents.
• Pre-surgical gut decolonization to reduce the risk of post-operative infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria in patients known to be carriers.
• Infection control programs in hospitals aiming to reduce the reservoir of MDR organisms and limit nosocomial transmission.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Provides a non-antibiotic strategy for eliminating drug-resistant gut pathogens, avoiding the further selection pressure that antibiotic use creates.
• Enables both therapeutic and preventive use, offering flexibility across different clinical scenarios and patient risk profiles.
• Exploits natural bacterial competition (competitive exclusion) to displace pathogens, leveraging a mechanism that resistant bacteria cannot easily overcome.
• Targets a major source of hospital-acquired infections at its reservoir — the gut — rather than treating infections only after they become systemic.
• May reduce the duration of patient isolation and decolonization burden in healthcare settings by providing an active biological intervention.
• Uses a closely related, naturally occurring bacterial species (K. oxytoca) as the probiotic agent, potentially improving safety and ecological compatibility compared to more distantly related probiotic organisms.

Technical Classifications (CPCs)

Inventors & Applicants

Patent Abstract

The present invention relates to probiotic bacteria of the species Klebsiella oxytoca that are used for a decolonization of multidrug resistant (MDR) Enterobacteria, such as Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae), from the gut of a subject. The decolonization can both be therapeutic, i.e. after colonization of the gut by the multiresistant pathogen(s), or as a preventive measure before a re-colonization of the gut, as required after antibiotic treatment.