tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Vet Microbiol
. 2026 Jun 8:320:111112.
doi: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2026.111112. Online ahead of print.
Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 18 protects against H3N2 and H1N1 Influenza A Virus infection associated with enhanced respiratory mucosal barrier function
Jiayi Hao[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Letian Li[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Lingcong Deng[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Zhongbo Guo[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Yan Jiang[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Jingyi Wang[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Yaxi Guo[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Dongliang Fei[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Mingxiao Ma[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Chang Li[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Maopeng Wang[SUP] 6 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Influenza remains a serious global health burden. Current seasonal vaccines provide limited and variable protection, largely due to antigenic drift and suboptimal matching with circulating strains, underscoring the urgent need for novel, broad-spectrum prophylactic strategies. Intranasal administration of live probiotic lactobacilli constitutes a promising approach, yet their protective mechanisms and comprehensive safety profiles remain incompletely understood. To address this, we evaluated the prophylactic efficacy and safety of intranasally delivered Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 18 (LP18) in lethal murine models of H3N2 and H1N1 influenza infection. LP18 pretreatment conferred complete protection (100% survival vs. 0%-55% in PBS controls) and reduced lung viral RNA load by up to 100-fold. This was associated with attenuation of pulmonary pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-1β) and enhanced tight junction protein expression, suggesting improved alveolar barrier integrity. Furthermore, LP18 demonstrated a favorable safety profile, with no evidence of pulmonary toxicity, central nervous system invasion, or significant cytotoxicity in vivo. Complementary in vitro studies showed that LP18 reduced H1N1 viral replication and intracellular viral load. Collectively, these findings suggest that live LP18 represents a promising live biotherapeutic candidate for influenza prevention, potentially involving coordinated modulation of pulmonary barrier integrity, inflammatory responses, and antiviral activity.
Keywords: Influenza virus; Intranasal administration; Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 18.
. 2026 Jun 8:320:111112.
doi: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2026.111112. Online ahead of print.
Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 18 protects against H3N2 and H1N1 Influenza A Virus infection associated with enhanced respiratory mucosal barrier function
Jiayi Hao[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Letian Li[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Lingcong Deng[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Zhongbo Guo[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Yan Jiang[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Jingyi Wang[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Yaxi Guo[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Dongliang Fei[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Mingxiao Ma[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Chang Li[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Maopeng Wang[SUP] 6 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 42296913
- DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2026.111112
Influenza remains a serious global health burden. Current seasonal vaccines provide limited and variable protection, largely due to antigenic drift and suboptimal matching with circulating strains, underscoring the urgent need for novel, broad-spectrum prophylactic strategies. Intranasal administration of live probiotic lactobacilli constitutes a promising approach, yet their protective mechanisms and comprehensive safety profiles remain incompletely understood. To address this, we evaluated the prophylactic efficacy and safety of intranasally delivered Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 18 (LP18) in lethal murine models of H3N2 and H1N1 influenza infection. LP18 pretreatment conferred complete protection (100% survival vs. 0%-55% in PBS controls) and reduced lung viral RNA load by up to 100-fold. This was associated with attenuation of pulmonary pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-1β) and enhanced tight junction protein expression, suggesting improved alveolar barrier integrity. Furthermore, LP18 demonstrated a favorable safety profile, with no evidence of pulmonary toxicity, central nervous system invasion, or significant cytotoxicity in vivo. Complementary in vitro studies showed that LP18 reduced H1N1 viral replication and intracellular viral load. Collectively, these findings suggest that live LP18 represents a promising live biotherapeutic candidate for influenza prevention, potentially involving coordinated modulation of pulmonary barrier integrity, inflammatory responses, and antiviral activity.
Keywords: Influenza virus; Intranasal administration; Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 18.