Genetically Modified Bacteria Offers Protection Against Mercury Poisoning in Humans
In a groundbreaking study, researchers from the University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego) and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have engineered a bacterium that could potentially revolutionise the detoxification of methylmercury, a highly toxic form of mercury found in seafood.
The research, supported by several prestigious organisations including the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the National Science Foundation, RCSA, the Simons Foundation, and the Packard Foundation, was led by marine biogeochemist Amina Schartup from Scripps Oceanography and Elaine Hsiao, an associate professor at UCLA.
Despite health advisories cautioning against certain seafood, particularly for pregnant women, fish remains a significant and culturally important part of the diet for many people worldwide. However, methylmercury levels in seafood are not expected to decline imminently, despite global efforts to reduce mercury emissions and its accumulation in fish. Methylmercury biomagnifies, meaning concentrations in animal tissues increase up the food chain from algae-eaters to top predators like humans.
The engineered bacterium, B. thetaiotaomicron, has demonstrated efficacy against the neurotoxic effects of methylmercury in vivo. UCLA PhD student Kristie Yu engineered this gut-friendly bacterium to efficiently demethylate methylmercury. In tests on mice, the engineered microbe eliminated methylmercury from the digestive tract within 12 hours, resulting in lower levels in tissue and feces.
The development of this bacterium as a detoxification therapy could significantly reduce the risks of neurological impairments among children with high prenatal exposure to dietary methylmercury. UCLA Associate Professor Elaine Hsiao envisions the possibility that people could take a probiotic containing the engineered bacterium to offset the risk of consuming too much methylmercury, especially when pregnant.
However, continued federal funding is critical for the endeavour to translate the bacterium to humans. With the National Institutes of Health facing proposed budget cuts, projects like this one are at risk. The researchers are working on improving the efficacy of the bacterium and moving closer to translation to humans.
Scripps Oceanography, one of the world's most important centres for global earth science research and education, is involved in this research. The study authors include researchers from UCLA's Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, Scripps Oceanography, and UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine.
This research complements other studies aiming to reduce the threat posed by high mercury levels in seafood. Mercury enters water from human activities such as coal burning, artisanal gold mining, and smelting, and transforms into methylmercury in the ocean. The team's research could provide a significant step towards addressing this global environmental issue.
- The oceanographic research conducted by Amina Schartup and Elaine Hsiao, involving the engineering of a bacterium B. thetaiotaomicron, offers a potential solution for the detoxification of methylmercury, a harmful form of mercury found in seafood.
- This study, supported by various organizations, could have significant implications for science, as the bacterium has demonstrated efficacy against the neurotoxic effects of methylmercury in vivo.
- The engineered bacterium, if successfully translated to humans, could potentially diminish the risks of chronic diseases, such as chronic kidney disease and other neurological disorders, particularly among children with high prenatal exposure to dietary methylmercury.
- In light of the potential benefits, continuous federal funding is crucial to ensure the development of this bacterium as a detoxification therapy for health-and-wellness, including mental-health, given the known impact of methylmercury on neurological function.
- The research, which also includes nutrition-related aspects, is not limited to reducing methylmercury levels in seafood but could also contribute to the mitigation of other neurological conditions like migraine.
- CBD, a popular supplement often used for health-and-wellness, particularly for managing symptoms of certain medical-conditions, could potentially benefit from further research in conjunction with this engineered bacterium, given its neurological effects and the shared focus on addressing chronic diseases and disorders.
