Fishing out AIEC with FimH capturing microgels for inflammatory bowel disease treatment

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic immune-mediated condition with rising global incidence and limited treatment options. Current therapies often have poor efficacy and undesirable side effects. Here we present a drug-free strategy that targets bacterial adhesion to manage IBD. We develop porous microgels loaded with mannan oligosaccharides (MOS) that mimic the natural binding sites of intestinal cells. These microgels attract adherent-invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC) by interacting with FimH, a bacterial protein used for attachment, thereby preventing AIEC from colonizing the gut lining. The microgels are fabricated using an all-aqueous two-phase system, enabling biocompatibility and structural control. In a mouse model of IBD, this competitive adsorption approach alleviates intestinal inflammation, reduces harmful Enterobacteriaceae, and enhances gut microbial diversity. This work introduces a non-antibiotic, bioinspired method that intercepts pathogenic bacteria and restores microbial balance, offering a promising therapeutic strategy for IBD.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Nature Communications
Published
2025-08-25
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-63276-7
Citations
6
Primary Topic
Gut microbiota and health
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
4.84

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Fishing out AIEC with FimH capturing microgels for inflammatory bowel disease treatment

Ruiying Liu, Maobin Xie, Xiyong Yu, Li Juan Wu et al.
6 citations
Nature Communications
Gut microbiota and health
4.84
article

Fishing out AIEC with FimH capturing microgels for inflammatory bowel disease treatment

Ruiying Liu, Maobin Xie, Xiyong Yu, Li Juan Wu, Qian Jin, Xiao Changyi, Jialin Wu, Bin Liu, Yutao Liu, Yingying Hou, Guosheng Tang, Leyan Xuan, X. S. Qin
article en
6 citations

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic immune-mediated condition with rising global incidence and limited treatment options. Current therapies often have poor efficacy and undesirable side effects. Here we present a drug-free strategy that targets bacterial adhesion to manage IBD. We develop porous microgels loaded with mannan oligosaccharides (MOS) that mimic the natural binding sites of intestinal cells. These microgels attract adherent-invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC) by interacting with FimH, a bacterial protein used for attachment, thereby preventing AIEC from colonizing the gut lining. The microgels are fabricated using an all-aqueous two-phase system, enabling biocompatibility and structural control. In a mouse model of IBD, this competitive adsorption approach alleviates intestinal inflammation, reduces harmful Enterobacteriaceae, and enhances gut microbial diversity. This work introduces a non-antibiotic, bioinspired method that intercepts pathogenic bacteria and restores microbial balance, offering a promising therapeutic strategy for IBD.

Nature CommunicationsVol. 16(1)
Tianjin University (CN), Nankai University (CN), Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (CN), State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease (CN), Institute for Forecasting of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SK), Guangzhou Medical University (CN)
National Natural Science Foundation of China
Openalex Percentile: Top 5%
Gut microbiota and health
4.84
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.