I-Corps: Soil-derived mycobacteria for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other anxiety disorders

这个i-Corps项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是为治疗精神健康障碍，特别是创伤后应激障碍(PTSD)开发新的疗法。虽然创伤后应激障碍最常与军人联系在一起，但据估计，大约7%-8%的美国人会在生活中的某个时候因日常创伤而遭受创伤后应激障碍，如车祸和性创伤。此外，预计由于新冠肺炎大流行，创伤后应激障碍的发生率将大幅增加。建议的疗法作为治疗创伤后应激障碍的综合方法的一部分将是最有效的。这项拟议的创新也适合蓬勃发展的补充和替代医学行业。这个行业补充了大约36%的美国人的健康需求，预计到2027年全球收入将达到2960亿美元。这个i-Corps项目基于开发和测试新型分枝杆菌菌株，这些菌株可能会被纳入营养食品供公众食用。分枝杆菌已经被证明可以减少炎症和改变大脑的免疫系统。分枝杆菌的这些特征对心理健康有重要意义。具体地说，在动物模型中，研究表明，在应激之前给予热灭活分枝杆菌可以增强应激韧性，防止应激诱导的炎症、自发性结肠炎和焦虑的夸大。这些效应特别针对创伤后应激障碍的两个主要症状：回避和兴奋性或反应性的改变。这些症状与创伤后应激障碍患者的众所周知的行为有关，如易怒、睡眠问题、注意力难以集中和避免与创伤相关的经历。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of novel therapeutics for the treatment of mental health disorders, specifically, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). While PTSD is most commonly associated with military personnel, it is estimated that roughly 7-8% of Americans will suffer from PTSD at some point in their lives resulting from everyday trauma, such as car accidents and sexual trauma. Further, it is anticipated there will be dramatic increases in the incidence of PTSD as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The proposed therapeutics would be most effective as part of an integrative approach to treating PTSD. The proposed innovation is also a fit for the burgeoning complementary and alternative medicine industry. This industry supplements the health needs of roughly 36% of Americans and is estimated to reach $296 billion in global revenues by 2027.This I-Corps project is based on the development and testing of novel strains of mycobacteria that may be incorporated into nutraceuticals for public consumption. Mycobacteria have been shown to reduce inflammation and modify the immune system of the brain. These characteristics of mycobacteria have important implications for mental health. Specifically, it has been shown that administration of heat-killed mycobacteria prior to stress enhances stress resilience and prevents stress-induced exaggeration of inflammation, spontaneous colitis, and anxiety in animal models. These effects specifically address two of the main symptoms of PTSD: avoidance and alterations in excitation or reactivity. These symptoms are associated with well-known behaviors in individuals with PTSD, such as irritability, sleep problems, difficulty concentrating, and avoiding experiences associated with trauma.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.