Good Bacteria, Bad Bugs & Pathogenic Biofilm
The Key to a Healthy Brain and Body is a Healthy Gut
The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is the first line of defense against pathogens from the outside world. Our gut lining is designed to have an abundance of commensal bacteria, yeast, viruses, and parasites sitting on its surface, known as the human microbiome. Starting at day 2 of life, these good microbes/bacteria help the body generate an appropriate immune response. (1)
If we deplete the good bugs (microbiome depletion) from over-use of antibiotics, pharmaceuticals, allergens or other toxic insults, bad or pathogenic bacteria and yeast/fungus may overgrow. This overgrowth of pathogenic microbes in the gut is referred to as dysbiosis. When microbiome balance is disrupted, our bodies become at risk for developing and/or worsening symptoms of allergies, autoimmunity, obesity, mood disorders, metabolic syndrome, and other chronic conditions.
Restoring the Microbiome
Research is uncovering how important the microbiome is to our overall health, and that “microbiome restoration” can be the key to helping chronically ill individuals. Restoration of a healthy human microflora is a slow but rewarding process. Special Diets, Digestive Enzymes, Probiotics, Prebiotics, Bitters, Immune Modulators, Amino Acids, Antimicrobials, Antifungals and Antiparasitic agents are commonly employed to help bring back balance to a disrupted microbiome. Patients often report both physical and mental improvements when “working on their gut health”. However, for some patients, these treatment strategies may not be enough or are no longer effective. In order to help this subset of patients, we need to expand our thinking and look at new concepts about how microbes survive and create disorder in our bodies. (2)
Luckily, our old concepts of microbiology are rapidly being replaced with newer, more sophisticated paradigms. In fact, scientists worldwide are now viewing masses of microorganisms as evolved, complex colonies that have developed unique and intricate ways to survive and evade our immune surveillance system. In particular, some pathogenic bacteria, such as Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, E.coli, Borrellia are known to produce a mucus containing matrix to protect themselves, called a biofilm. (3)
Targeting Pathogenic Biofilms
A biofilm is a collection of microbes that grows in communities to form protective extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), or matrices, to surround themselves. There are two types of biofilm communities: symbiotic and pathogenic. Symbiotic biofilms are produced by our good bugs and protect our gut lining. Bad bugs, however, produce pathogenic biofilms.
Pathogenic biofilms surround and protect the bad bugs like an impenetrable fortress, allowing them to thrive and reproduce. As the bad bugs reproduce, they continue to produce toxic byproducts that may be detrimental to the health of the host without the host even realizing the bad bugs are there. These pathogenic biofilms account for the majority of all microbial infections in the human body and more than 65 percent of hospital-acquired infections. The microbes hiding under biofilms are also highly resistant to both immunologic and nonspecific defense mechanisms of the body.
Some microbes even fail to express outer membrane proteins (OMP) when iron is present. When outer membrane proteins are not expressed, the immune system is unable to recognize pathogens and, therefore, is not able to produce antibodies against the bugs. In this case, the patient may also not experience a full array of symptoms such as fever, swelling or rash. (4)
Difficult to diagnose, difficult to culture, difficult to treat
The pathogens living in biofilm are remarkably difficult to treat, often resistant to doses of antimicrobials, and 100 to 1000 fold over the minimum lethal dose for microbes outside of biofilm. Since the bacteria hiding under biofilm is difficult to see and culture and since the immune system may not be producing antibodies against the pathogens, the bad bugs can be very difficult to diagnose. However, a history of the following may indicate the presence of pathogenic biofilm:
- Chronic Sinusitis
- Bronchitis
- Otitis
- Tonsillitis
- Dental caries
- Cystitis
- History of frequent antibiotic use, or antibiotic use as a very young age
- Negative titers and culture with a positive strep test
- Patient initially does well with antibiotics and antifungals but later becomes resistant
- Patient does well when placed on antifungals/antibiotics even though cultures are negative and relapses when antifungals/antibiotics are stopped
How Muco-Solve™ Can Help
Recently, scientists have been discovering ways to penetrate these pathogenic biofilms and expose the bad bugs beneath so that they can be destroyed by the immune system. Muco-Solve™ is an updated replacement to a previous formula developed by Dr. Usman Singh, called Biofilm Defense®.
Muco-solve™ contains a combination of unique enzymes that have the ability to dissolve the polysaccharide and fibrin components of biofilm. It also contains small quantities of a weak organic acid that help bind the metals that hold the biofilm together, in particular, Iron and Calcium. When iron and calcium are removed from the biofilm the film can not remain intact and will detach.
Because this enzyme lacks any significant amount of protease, which can irritate a sensitive GI tract, Muco-Solve™ can be taken on an empty stomach. In fact, it may be recommended by clinicians to use this product on an empty stomach followed by appropriate natural or pharmaceutical antimicrobials that target a specific bug or bugs residing in the biofilm community. Short term protocols using Muco-Solve™ along with antimicrobials can be employed as an adjunctive therapy to your antimicrobial regimen. Muco-Solve™ is designed to be used with other strategies such as Prebiotics, Probiotics and Digestive Enzymes, to optimize outcome and restore the microbiome.
Product contains: Vegetable Cellulose, Water, Soy
Does NOT contain: Casein/milk, coloring, egg, fish or shellfish, gluten, peanuts, yeast
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These products are not meant to diagnose‚ treat or cure any disease or medical condition. Please consult your doctor before starting any exercise or nutritional supplement program or before using these or any product during pregnancy or if you have a serious medical condition.
REFERENCES:
- Buret, A.G., Motta, J., Allain, T. et al. Pathobiont release from dysbiotic gut microbiota biofilms in intestinal inflammatory diseases: a role for iron?. J Biomed Sci 26, 1 (2019).
- Khosravi A, Mazmanian SK. Disruption of the gut microbiome as a risk factor for microbial infections. Curr Opin Microbiol. 2013;16(2):221–227. doi:10.1016/j.mib.2013.03.009
- Donlan RM. Biofilms: Microbial Life on Surfaces. Emerging Infectious Diseases. 2002;8(9):881-890.
- Anwar, H. et al. Testing the Susceptibility of Bacteria in Biofilm to Antibacterial Agents. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemo. Nov 1990; 34(11):2043—2046.
 tract is the first line of defense against pathogens from the outside world. Our gut lining is designed to have an abundance of commensal bacteria, yeast, viruses, and parasites sitting on its surface, known as the human microbiome. Starting at day 2 of life, these good microbes/bacteria help the body generate an appropriate immune response. (1)
If we deplete the good bugs (microbiome depletion) from over-use of antibiotics, pharmaceuticals, allergens or other toxic insults, bad or pathogenic bacteria and yeast/fungus may overgrow. This overgrowth of pathogenic microbes in the gut is referred to as dysbiosis. When microbiome balance is disrupted, our bodies become at risk for developing and/or worsening symptoms of allergies, autoimmunity, obesity, mood disorders, metabolic syndrome, and other chronic conditions.
Restoring the Microbiome
Research is uncovering how important the microbiome is to our overall health, and that “microbiome restoration” can be the key to helping chronically ill individuals. Restoration of a healthy human microflora is a slow but rewarding process. Special Diets, Digestive Enzymes, Probiotics, Prebiotics, Bitters, Immune Modulators, Amino Acids, Antimicrobials, Antifungals and Antiparasitic agents are commonly employed to help bring back balance to a disrupted microbiome. Patients often report both physical and mental improvements when “working on their gut health”. However, for some patients, these treatment strategies may not be enough or are no longer effective. In order to help this subset of patients, we need to expand our thinking and look at new concepts about how microbes survive and create disorder in our bodies. (2)
Luckily, our old concepts of microbiology are rapidly being replaced with newer, more sophisticated paradigms. In fact, scientists worldwide are now viewing masses of microorganisms as evolved, complex colonies that have developed unique and intricate ways to survive and evade our immune surveillance system. In particular, some pathogenic bacteria, such as Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, E.coli, Borrellia are known to produce a mucus containing matrix to protect themselves, called a biofilm. (3)
Targeting Pathogenic Biofilms
A biofilm is a collection of microbes that grows in communities to form protective extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), or matrices, to surround themselves. There are two types of biofilm communities: symbiotic and pathogenic. Symbiotic biofilms are produced by our good bugs and protect our gut lining. Bad bugs, however, produce pathogenic biofilms.
Pathogenic biofilms surround and protect the bad bugs like an impenetrable fortress, allowing them to thrive and reproduce. As the bad bugs reproduce, they continue to produce toxic byproducts that may be detrimental to the health of the host without the host even realizing the bad bugs are there. These pathogenic biofilms account for the majority of all microbial infections in the human body and more than 65 percent of hospital-acquired infections. The microbes hiding under biofilms are also highly resistant to both immunologic and nonspecific defense mechanisms of the body.
Some microbes even fail to express outer membrane proteins (OMP) when iron is present. When outer membrane proteins are not expressed, the immune system is unable to recognize pathogens and, therefore, is not able to produce antibodies against the bugs. In this case, the patient may also not experience a full array of symptoms such as fever, swelling or rash. (4)
Difficult to diagnose, difficult to culture, difficult to treat
The pathogens living in biofilm are remarkably difficult to treat, often resistant to doses of antimicrobials, and 100 to 1000 fold over the minimum lethal dose for microbes outside of biofilm. Since the bacteria hiding under biofilm is difficult to see and culture and since the immune system may not be producing antibodies against the pathogens, the bad bugs can be very difficult to diagnose. However, a history of the following may indicate the presence of pathogenic biofilm:
Chronic Sinusitis
Bronchitis
Otitis
Tonsillitis
Dental caries
Cystitis
History of frequent antibiotic use, or antibiotic use as a very young age
Negative titers and culture with a positive strep test
Patient initially does well with antibiotics and antifungals but later becomes resistant
Patient does well when placed on antifungals/antibiotics even though cultures are negative and relapses when antifungals/antibiotics are stopped
How Muco-Solve™ Can Help
Recently, scientists have been discovering ways to penetrate these pathogenic biofilms and expose the bad bugs beneath so that they can be destroyed by the immune system. Muco-Solve™ is an updated replacement to a previous formula developed by Dr. Usman Singh, called Biofilm Defense®.
Muco-solve™ contains a combination of unique enzymes that have the ability to dissolve the polysaccharide and fibrin components of biofilm. It also contains small quantities of a weak organic acid that help bind the metals that hold the biofilm together, in particular, Iron and Calcium. When iron and calcium are removed from the biofilm the film can not remain intact and will detach.
Because this enzyme lacks any significant amount of protease, which can irritate a sensitive GI tract, Muco-Solve™ can be taken on an empty stomach. In fact, it may be recommended by clinicians to use this product on an empty stomach followed by appropriate natural or pharmaceutical antimicrobials that target a specific bug or bugs residing in the biofilm community. Short term protocols using Muco-Solve™ along with antimicrobials can be employed as an adjunctive therapy to your antimicrobial regimen. Muco-Solve™ is designed to be used with other strategies such as Prebiotics, Probiotics and Digestive Enzymes, to optimize outcome and restore the microbiome.
Product contains: Vegetable Cellulose, Water, Soy
Does NOT contain: Casein/milk, coloring, egg, fish or shellfish, gluten, peanuts, yeast
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These products are not meant to diagnose‚ treat or cure any disease or medical condition. Please consult your doctor before starting any exercise or nutritional supplement program or before using these or any product during pregnancy or if you have a serious medical condition.
REFERENCES:
Buret, A.G., Motta, J., Allain, T. et al. Pathobiont release from dysbiotic gut microbiota biofilms in intestinal inflammatory diseases: a role for iron?. J Biomed Sci 26, 1 (2019).
Khosravi A, Mazmanian SK. Disruption of the gut microbiome as a risk factor for microbial infections. Curr Opin Microbiol. 2013;16(2):221–227. doi:10.1016/j.mib.2013.03.009
Donlan RM. Biofilms: Microbial Life on Surfaces. Emerging Infectious Diseases. 2002;8(9):881-890.
Anwar, H. et al. Testing the Susceptibility of Bacteria in Biofilm to Antibacterial Agents. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemo. Nov 1990; 34(11):2043—2046.
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