Leeuwenhoek Biotech Inc. signed a letter of intent for cooperation on May 25, 2023 with the research team of Wu Mingxian's laboratory at the National Taiwan University Hospital. The two parties will launch a long-term collaboration on the research and development of the next-generation probiotic AKK, hoping to successfully use AKK bacteria as a prevention and treatment strategy for a new generation of human diseases.
Akkermansia muciniphila (AKK) is a next-generation probiotic that coexists with humans and plays an important role in maintaining the balance of human intestinal microecology. Unlike traditional probiotics which mostly fall into the category of food, next-generation probiotics such as AKK have greater medical potential. AKK has been found to be associated with many diseases in related studies on its impact on human health and disease, including anti-obesity, anti-type 2 diabetes, anti-inflammatory bowel disease, etc., showing its strong potential for improving metabolic and inflammatory diseases (Cani et al. Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 2022). In addition, studies have shown that AKK can affect the effectiveness of PD-1 clinical tumor immunotherapy (Derosa et al. Nature Medicine 28, 2022). Currently, pharmaceutical companies and health food manufacturers in the United States, South Korea, the Netherlands, China and other countries have begun investing in the screening, preservation and product development of AKK strains.
Since its establishment, Leeuwenhoek has successfully screened 66 strains of AKK bacteria from healthy local populations in Taiwan. This local AKK strain resource library can be said to be the second largest in the world. Leeuwenhoek was established in August 2021 as a new startup derived from the research and development results of National Taiwan University. Leeuwenhoek's technical team excels in targeted and non-targeted metabolome analysis, isolation and cultivation of intestinal anaerobic bacteria, sterile mouse experimental technology and preclinical efficacy testing. It is committed to developing "next-generation probiotic" biomedical products with clinically proven efficacy and improving host health by regulating the intestinal microecology.
In addition, Leeuwenhoek will work with the research team of National Taiwan University Hospital President Wu Mingxian to develop AKK bacteria as a new generation of human disease prevention and treatment strategy. NTU Hospital has always been committed to its mission of protecting the health of the nation, continuously cultivating outstanding medical and research talents, and investing in medical research and innovation for a long time. The research team led by President Wu Mingxian has strong R&D capabilities in the field of intestinal bacterial translational medicine. This cooperation will combine the professional technology of Leeuwenhoek with the R&D energy of President Wu's team, opening up new prospects for AKK in disease prevention and treatment.
After the meeting, President Wu Mingxian said that Taiwan often follows Europe and the United States in terms of food and drug regulations, and AKK has related products on the market in the United States and the European Union. He believes that in addition to Leeuwenhoek, other companies in Taiwan are also interested in the research and development of next-generation probiotics. President Wu especially called on relevant Taiwanese units to take the establishment of next-generation probiotics regulations seriously.
In recent years, intestinal health has become a topic of widespread concern. Leeuwenhoek and the Wu Mingxian research team at National Taiwan University Hospital are well aware of the importance of intestinal bacteria to human health. This collaboration aims to further explore the impact of intestinal bacteria on human health and actively develop more effective treatments. As our understanding of the human genome deepens and the microbiome is further studied, disease prevention and treatment will become more and more personalized in the future. We firmly believe that AKK bacteria will become a key strain for promoting health and preventing and treating diseases in the future, and provide new possibilities for Taiwan to develop preventive and therapeutic products for related diseases.
