Implementation

Infection Precaution

The end-products of our project are small tablets or capsules that contain dry powders of probiotics that express anti-Shigella antibodies on their surface. Our products serve the dual roles of Shigella infection precaution as well as disease therapy. The abilities of room temperature storage provide our tablets with cost reduction for storage and transportation. Tablets should be taken when facing potential exposure to Shigella infection sources, such as drinking unsanitary water in high diarrhea incidence areas. In consideration of the prevalent transmission pathways of Shigella, we also suggest people whose family members have developed Shigella infections and children in school with diarrhea cases take our tablets to prevent person-to-person transmission, which is the major form of Shigella spreading¹.

Infection Therapy

Due to the intracellular nature of Shigella, the effectiveness of antibodies reduces as pathogens evade the cells. The ability to reprogram the infected cells to form protrusion adjacent cells allows Shigella to spread within intestine epithelial cells, reducing the chance of exposure to the body's internal environment². This special characteristic implies antibody may not be a one-size-fits-all solution for different stages of infection. We call for the combination of clinical phases of antibiotics treatment with our tablets together.

Prognosis and Secondary infection

Along with the high household transmission rates, Shigella also displays high secondary infection rates. Therefore, we suggest families with members developing Shigella take our pills for some time to provide continuous protection apart from keeping good hygiene conditions. In the meanwhile, patients who have developed Shigella infection before should also take our tablets when facing a second exposure.

End Users

People who are exposed to potential Shigella infection sources, especially in a household environment. Children in school with Shigella cases were reported. People with antibiotic allergies cannot use clinical antibiotic treatment. Governments aim to provide low-cost solutions for Shigella incidence in low- and middle-income, less-developed regions.

Caveats

Our product contains exogenous antibody proteins. Therefore, an allergy test may be needed to be performed to prevent possible anaphylaxis. Besides, considering the pathogenesis and transmission pathway of Shigella, our products may not be a one-size-fits-all solution for all infection stages but focuses more on the prevention of infection.

References