Probiotics for the treatment of Clostridium difficile associated disease

Core Tip

Core tip: Certain probiotics can inhibit signal transduction pathways (i.e., transcription factors like cAMP response element-binding, activator protein 1, and nuclear factor kappa B), as well as attenuate the activation of ceratin certain kinases (e.g., p38 mitogen activated protein kinases). Inhibition of these Intracellular signaling pathways by probiotics results in effects on intestinal fluid secretion, neutrophil influx into the colon, inflammation and colonocyte apoptosis that may positively impact Clostridium difficile-associated disease (CDAD). Understanding the mechanistic basis of CDAD, and how probiotics interfere at certain steps in the pathogenic process, may allow the development of novel probiotics that could have a future pharmacological impact on CDAD.