Foundation Aimed at Microbiota Research Awards Grant to Advance Liver Disease Treatment

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Dr. Bernd Schnabl will use the grant from the Biocodex Microbiota Foundation to further his study of liver diseases and gut microbiota.

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Biocodex Microbiota Foundation

Jul 12, 2018, 09:00 ET

SAN DIEGO, July 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Biocodex Microbiota Foundation (BMF), an organization founded by Biocodex and dedicated to inspiring scientific projects that explore the structure of microbiota, has announced that Dr. Bernd Schnabl is the 2018 recipient of the Foundation's International Grant to study liver diseases and gut microbiota. Dr. Schnabl, a professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of California San Diego, will use the €200,000 grant to advance his research on the correlation between certain bacteria in the intestines and alcoholic hepatitis.

"Hepatologists have known for decades that there is correlation between the gut and liver diseases," said Dr. Schnabl. "For example, cirrhotic patients who lapse into comas arouse after being treated with antibiotics to clear out bacteria in their intestines."

Alcoholic hepatitis is an acute on chronic disease with significant morbidity and mortality. Patients with the disease often have microbial imbalances and increased intestinal permeability. It's believed that some of the treatments, such as suppression of gastric acid, contribute to disease by allowing certain gut bacteria to flourish. Dr. Schnabl said he hopes to advance research that will unveil the mechanism of how the microbiota – and in particular certain bacterial species – contribute to alcoholic hepatitis.

"I've trained in liver research and have been studying the relationship between the gut and liver for years," Schnabl said. "This grant is a perfect fit for my research to identify and study the bacteria that are responsible for accelerating alcoholic hepatitis. This could lead to the development of strategies for targeting and killing the damaging bacteria. Such a precision medicine approach might be a completely new way to treat liver disease."

Biocodex, a global pharmaceutical company and maker of the probiotic Florastor^®, has been a leading researcher and provider in the microbiota field for the last 60 years. As the company continues to evolve, more emphasis has been placed on advancing the understanding between human microbiota and various pathologies. Launched in February of 2017, the Biocodex Microbiota Foundation was created to inspire innovative scientists around the world and advance research of the human microbiota and gut flora.

Currently with National Calls for Projects in the USA, Canada, Belgium, France, Morocco, Nordics, Poland, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine, along with an International Calls for Projects, the Foundation's multi-year research efforts aim to donate millions towards scientific advancement over the years. Dr. Schnabl's winning application for the 2018 International Grant was reviewed and chosen by BMF's scientific board, comprised of leading researchers from the United States, France, Spain, Italy and Austria.

The Biocodex Microbiota Foundation runs the grant initiative each year, and new calls for projects have just recently opened. For more information, visit http://www.biocodexmicrobiotafoundation.com/foundation.

About Biocodex Microbiota Foundation
The Biocodex Microbiota Foundation's mission is to support research into microbiota and its interaction with various pathologies. Research is supported through grants given to projects that investigate the implication of microbiota in human health. BMF supports both fundamental and applied research, and projects are selected annually by a committee of independent, international scientists.

The BMF's primary activity remains the awarding of annual grants to innovative scientific research projects that explore the structure and impact of microbiota. The BMF also runs and helps establish programs to improve our understanding of microbiota and disseminates this knowledge as widely as possible. Finally, the BMF can establish public projects involving microbiota which aim to help improve human health.

The Biocodex Microbiota Foundation (BMF) is a non-profit, general interest organization.

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SOURCE Biocodex Microbiota Foundation