Live biotherapeutic products: the forefront of innovative drug development driven by biotechnology

Abstract:

As human microbiome research advances, a large body of evidence shows that microorganisms are closely related to human health. Probiotics were discovered and used as foods or dietary supplements with health benefits in the last century. Microorganisms have shown broader application prospects in human health since the turn of the century, owing to the rapid development of technologies such as microbiome analysis, DNA synthesis and sequencing, and gene editing. In recent years, the concept of "next-generation probiotics" has been proposed as new drugs, and microorganisms are considered as "live biotherapeutic products (LBP)". In a nutshell, LBP is a living bacterial drug that can be used to prevent or treat certain human diseases and indications. Because of its distinct advantages, LBP has risen to the forefront of drug development research and has very broad development prospects. This review introduces the varieties and research advances on LBP from a biotechnology standpoint, followed by summarizing the challenges and opportunities for LBP clinical implementations, with the aim to facilitate LBP development.