Probiotics may manage mild H Pylori infection, says Nobel laureate
Hyderabad: Renowned Australian scientist Dr Barry Marshall, a Nobel Prize-winning gastroenterologist, said probiotics, such as yogurt with lactobacilli, could manage mild infections of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) bacteria, though antibiotics are still necessary for complete eradication.
“In animals, we’ve seen that some probiotics can suppress H. pylori,” he said, noting one study that achieved a modest 20 per cent success rate in gerbils, a kind fo rodent. “If you had a very resistant Helicobacter and couldn’t take antibiotics, probiotics might offer some relief.”
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle about the implications of his discovery of H. pylori bacteria and the ongoing challenges in its treatment, during the inauguration of Barry Marshall Centre for HPylori Research at AIG Hospitals on Friday, Dr Marshall said, “Nobody could believe that a common bacteria could be harmful.”
“Instead of infecting animals, I decided to drink the bacteria myself. I felt unwell, started vomiting, and my mother said I had bad breath. But the biopsy confirmed what I suspected.” While he cautioned that “self-experimentation is not very scientific and not recommended."
Dr Marshall's discovery, initially met with a lot of scepticism, slowly took ground and eventually medicines were developed that could help treat the ulcers better by targeting the bacteria. Despite previous knowledge of bacteria in the stomach, Dr Marshall noted, researchers had long overlooked its relevance. “For centuries, people described bacteria in the stomach but ignored it."
His groundbreaking work proved that this bacterium causes stomach ulcers, and has reshaped the understanding and management of gastrointestinal diseases. The Nobel Laureate will deliver a personal lecture at AIG on Saturday, 11 am.
Highlighting the vast prevalence of H. pylori, Dr Nageswar Reddy, founder-director of AIG Hospitals said, “More than 50 per cent of the world’s population is infected. While the developed countries are seeing a decrease in incidence, India is still on a higher side.”
The discovery sparked a revolution in gastrointestinal medicine, yet challenges remain, particularly regarding vaccination. “It’s difficult to eradicate Helicobacter with a vaccine,” Dr Marshall said. “One vaccine offered 50 per cent protection in children, but the effect wore off after one or two years. I’m connected with one or two teams working on new vaccines, but it’s not a simple thing,” he explained.
Intriguingly, recent research indicates that H. pylori exposure in childhood could strengthen the immune system in a way that the risk of long term diseases like asthma could be reduced.
Dr Marshall explained, “We found that people with Helicobacter in New York City were 40 per cent less likely to have asthma or allergies.”
His team is developing a product based on this concept, “It’s called Imbalance, and the idea is to provide a controlled exposure to the bacterium. Kids would receive a killed form of Helicobacter with their food, potentially making them less prone to allergies.” He noted that regions like India, where asthma is more prevalent, could benefit from such preventive approaches.
Addressing antibiotic resistance, Dr Marshall emphasised that certain antibiotics, especially when combined with acid blockers, remain effective against H. pylori, but resistance levels vary regionally. “In every city, the most effective antibiotic might differ based on local resistance patterns,” he noted, adding that Artificial Intelligence is helping in “predicting the best antibiotic combinations by analysing genetic, clinical, and microbiological data.”
He pointed to bismuth, metronidazole, and tetracycline as examples where AI has highlighted successful combinations even in resistant cases.
