The Effect of Consumption of the Probiotic Bifidobacterium Animalis Subspecies Lactis (BB-12) on Function and Phenotype of Natural Killer Cells
Open Access
- Author:
- Krisher, Sarah Yelena
- Area of Honors:
- Bioengineering
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Connie Jo Rogers, Thesis Supervisor
Sheereen Majd, Thesis Honors Advisor
Dr. William O Hancock, Faculty Reader - Keywords:
- probiotics
BB-12
natural killer cells - Abstract:
- Probiotics have been defined by the United Nations and World Health Organization as, “live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host.” One of their significant health benefits is that probiotics can improve host immune function. Bifidobacterium animalis subspecies lactis (BB-12), a strain of bacteria in the genera Bifidobacterium, is a probiotic widely used today in food manufacturing as a probiotic supplement. Evidence suggests that consumption of BB-12 alone or in combination with other probiotic species can modulate both the innate and adaptive immune responses in human subjects and experimental animals. Many studies use BB-12 in combination with other probiotics to analyze various immune endpoints, as studies are hinting at the potential impact probiotics could have on health outside of the gut. A large part of the innate immune response is natural killer (NK) cells, which are most known for removing foreign pathogens and tumor cells. Because these cells play a critical role in the immune response, it would be beneficial to determine if consumption of BB-12 can enhance NK cell function. This thesis focuses on the effects of BB-12 on NK cell function in both human and murine models. The specific aims of this study are to 1) determine if BB-12 will modulate NK cell cytotoxicity and function, as well as 2) determine if the vehicle through which the probiotics are administered affects the efficiency by which the probiotics modulate immunity. Final results of the murine study and interim analysis of the human study have indicated that BB-12 does not affect NK cell phenotype or function, but trends across groups hint at potentially finding relationships when the human study is finished in May 2014.