6,869,602 - Method for Treating, Preventing, or Inhibiting Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli Infections with Erythrocyte Preparations

This invention is a method to treat, prevent, or inhibit enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) infections using bovine erythrocyte (red blood cell) preparations. The bovine red blood cell preparation (bRBC) may comprise whole erythrocytes, erythrocyte ghosts, fractions, or extracts, glycolipid receptors isolated from erythrocytes, or any of them in combination. The method could be used to prevent, inhibit or reduce the amount of ETEC that adheres to a subject’s intestinal wall, thus limiting the extent of the infection.

Travelers’ diarrhea, most commonly caused by ETEC, is a frequent health problem among those visiting or deployed to less developed or tropical countries. Symptoms include profuse watery diarrhea, abdominal cramping, fever, nausea, vomiting, headache and muscle ache. Thus, control of ETEC is an important concern to business and vacation travelers, as well as to military personnel. The infectious process occurs when ETEC cells adhere to the host’s intestinal epithelial cells via adhesion-receptor interactions. As bRBCs have a strong binding affinity to ETEC, they may limit infections by out-competing or adsorbing off adherent ETEC from host cell receptors.

The bRBC preparation could be combined with a carrier to make it suitable for oral administration. It could also be combined with various supplemental anti-diarrheal or antibiotic compounds. These include bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol), diphenoxylate with atropine (Lomotil), loperamide HCI (Immodium), or ciprofloxacin.

• ETEC cells adhere strongly to bRBCs
• Long term stability: bRBCs can be frozen and thawed at least 5 times without affecting adherence to ETEC
• Could combine with supplemental anti-diarrheal or antibiotic compounds

Patent No.: 6,869,602

Date Issued: March 22, 2005

Docket No.: WRAIR 01-31

Additional information: US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases - Business Opportunities website

• 6,869,602 - Method for treating, preventing, or inhibiting enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli infections with bovine red blood cells