A naturally occurring
gastrointestinal disease, primarily of ruminants (
Johne disease), is a chronic debilitating disease that is caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP). MAP
infection occurs primarily in utero and in newborns. Outside our Dietzia probiotic treatment, there are no preventive/curative
therapies for bovine
paratuberculosis. Interestingly, MAP is at the center of controversy as to its role in (cause of)
Crohn disease (CD) and more recently, its role in diabetes,
ulcerative colitis, and
irritable bowel syndrome (IBS); the latter two, like CD, are considered to be a result of chronic intestinal
inflammation. Treatments, both conventional and
biologic agents, which induce and maintain remission are directed at curtailing processes that are an intricate part of
inflammation. Most possess side effects of varying severity, lose therapeutic value, and more importantly, none routinely result in prevention and/or cures. Based on (a) similarities of
Johne disease and
Crohn disease, (b) a report that Dietzia inhibited growth of MAP under specific culture conditions, and (c) findings that Dietzia when used as a probiotic, (i) was therapeutic for adult bovine
paratuberculosis, and (ii) prevented development of disease in MAP-infected calves, the goal of the present investigations was to design protocols that have applicability for IBD patients. Dietzia was found safe for cattle of all ages and for normal and immunodeficient mice. The results strongly warrant clinical evaluation as a probiotic, in combination with/without
dexamethasone.