Receptor Mimic Technology

This research is conducted in collaboration with Professor James Paton and Dr Adrienne Paton, and is based on Escherchia coli strains with genetically modified lipopolysaccharides that mimic human glycolipids, and can act as receptor mimics for bacterial toxins thereby acting as novel therapeutic agents.

Relevant publications

Paton, A., Morona, R., and Paton, J.C. (2000) “A novel biological agent for treatment of Shiga toxigenic Escherichia coli infections and dysentery in humans.” Nature Medicine 6: 265-270.

Paton, J.C., Rodgers, T.J., Morona, R., and Paton, A.W. (2001) “Oral administration of formaldehyde-killed recombinant bacteria expressing a mimic of the shiga toxin receptor protects mice from fatal challenge with Shiga-toxigenic Escherichia coli.”  Infect. Immun. 69: 1389-1393.

Paton, A.W., Morona, R., and Paton, J.C. (2001) “Neutralisation of Shiga toxins Stx1, Stx2c and Stx2e by recombinant bacteria expressing mimics of globotriose and globotetraose.” Infect. Immun. 69: 1967-1970.

Pinyon, R., Paton, J.C., Paton, A.W., James A. Botten, J.A., and Morona, R. (2004) "Refinement of a therapeutic Shiga toxin-binding probiotic for human trials." J. Infect. Dis. 189: 1547-1555.

Paton, A.W., Jennings, M.P., Morona, R., Wang, H., Focareta, A., Roddam, L.F., and Paton, J.C. (2005) " Recombinant probiotics for treatment and prevention of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli diarrhea." Gastroenterology 128: 1219-1228.

Paton, A.W, Morona, R., and Paton, J.C. (2006) "Designer probiotics for prevention of enteric infections". Nat. Rev. Microbiol. 4:193-200.

Focareta, A., Paton, J.C., Morona, R., Cook, J., and Paton, A.W. (2006) “A recombinant probiotic for treatment and prevention of cholera”. Gastroenterology 130: 1688-1695.