Immunology Laboratories, Inc. (Birmingham, AL) inventors Jiri Pillich and John C Balcarek have developed bacterial lysate compositions which are effective for the prevention and treatment of mastitis, particularly mastitis in dairy cattle, though any mastitis can be treated. Bacterial lysate compositions can also be used to enhance the immune system to prevent infections by the administration of an effective amount of the compositions. Immunology Laboratories earned U.S. Patent 7,648,707 for the discovery.
Mastitis in dairy cattle is an inflammation of the mammary gland in response to intramammary bacterial infection, mechanical trauma, or chemical trauma. Economic losses due to mastitis are $1.7 billion dollars a year in the U.S. alone. It is thought that contagious mastitis is primarily caused by S. aureus and Streptococcal agalactiae. Environmental mastitis can be caused by a variety of different bacteria, including, but not limited to, K. pneumoniae, Escherichia. coli, Klebsiella oxytoca, Enterobacter aerogenes, Streptococcal uberis, Streptococcal bovis, and Streptococcal dysgalactia.
Traditional prevention of bovine mastitis involves a complex regimen of daily teat-dipping with a disinfectant solution, and may involve antibiotic-containing teat dips. When infection does occur, intramammary infusion of antibiotics is indicated, however this leads to increasingly resistant strains of bacteria. Antibiotic therapy can reduce the infection so that the milk produced is saleable, but it generally does not lead to complete elimination of the causative organism.
Traditional prevention of bovine mastitis involves a complex regimen of daily teat-dipping with a disinfectant solution, and may involve antibiotic-containing teat dips. When infection does occur, intramammary infusion of antibiotics is indicated, however this leads to increasingly resistant strains of bacteria. Antibiotic therapy can reduce the infection so that the milk produced is saleable, but it generally does not lead to complete elimination of the causative organism.
While not wishing to be bound to any particular theory, studies on mastitis have indicated that part of the problem in treating mastitis is that a significant number of bacteria remain viable in the mammary gland within phagocytic polymorphonuclear neutrophil leukocytes (PMN). When lysis of the leukocyte occurs, the phagocytized bacteria may provide a renewed source of mastitis producing, for example, staphylococcal regrowth. While not wishing to be bound, it is currently believed that the use of bacterial lysates allows for the creation of memory cells, allowing the cow to respond to remaining bacteria, whenever they might appear.
In general, bovine mastitis is treated by administering an effective amount of a bacterial lysate to a cow. The administration may be a prophylactic administration, in that all cattle in the herd are treated with bacterial lysate compositions, or the administration may occur when infection occurs in individual cows. For example, in heifers, vaccination starts at 6 months of age. Three subcutaneous injections of lysate (5 cc each) are applied between 6 and 24 months of age.
The compound is also useful in the treatment of skin infections in other domesticated animals including canine and feline staphylococcal skin infection, dermatitis, and other chronic infections. Treatment methods comprise the administration of an effective amount of a bacterial lysate to domesticated animals.
Bacterial antigens are known to trigger immunomodulatory effects in vivo. For example, in an infection of a host by a staphylococcal organism, other bacteria and some viruses, it is believed that a staphylococcuslysate composition potentiates cell-mediated as well as humoral immunity in animals and humans. Treatment with staphylococcus lysates elevates antigen specific as well as total humoral antibody and immunoglobulin levels creating an effective immunoadjuvant for humoral responses as well.
In general, bovine mastitis is treated by administering an effective amount of a bacterial lysate to a cow. The administration may be a prophylactic administration, in that all cattle in the herd are treated with bacterial lysate compositions, or the administration may occur when infection occurs in individual cows. For example, in heifers, vaccination starts at 6 months of age. Three subcutaneous injections of lysate (5 cc each) are applied between 6 and 24 months of age.
The compound is also useful in the treatment of skin infections in other domesticated animals including canine and feline staphylococcal skin infection, dermatitis, and other chronic infections. Treatment methods comprise the administration of an effective amount of a bacterial lysate to domesticated animals.
Bacterial antigens are known to trigger immunomodulatory effects in vivo. For example, in an infection of a host by a staphylococcal organism, other bacteria and some viruses, it is believed that a staphylococcuslysate composition potentiates cell-mediated as well as humoral immunity in animals and humans. Treatment with staphylococcus lysates elevates antigen specific as well as total humoral antibody and immunoglobulin levels creating an effective immunoadjuvant for humoral responses as well.
The compounds may be entrapped in microcapsules prepared by coacervation techniques or by interfacial polymerization, for example, hydroxymethylcellulose or gelatin-microcapsules and poly(methylmethacylate) microcapsules. The formulations may also be contained in colloidal drug delivery systems (for example, liposomes, albumin microspheres, microemulsions, nano-particles and nanocapsules) or in macroemulsions.
