Probiotics for Infection Control

[facetguy]

Interesting study showing probiotics reduce incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia:

http://ajrccm.atsjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/200912-1853OCv1 (abstract)

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=bacteria-may-protect-against-pneumonia (news coverage)

While the details still need to be worked out, we will see continued interest in probiotics for all manner of issues. The next phase will be the rush to patent specific strains for specific conditions...it's always about the money!

EDIT:
Just happened upon this gut flora-related story:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100617120716.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Latest+Science+News%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher

Gut flora can induce RA in susceptible mice. From the article: "One surprising finding was that bacteria in the gut could influence the development of an autoimmune disease affecting tissues distant from the gut. Diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome have been linked to gut-residing bacteria, but this study is unique in showing the mechanism by which a bacterium in the gut can influence the development of an autoimmune response that ends in inflammation and pain in the joints." This isn't a new concept and has been suspected for a long time now, particularly among nutritionally-oriented practitioners. It's good to see new research in this vastly underappreciated area of science.

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[Pharmavixen]

There's TONS of research on probiotics; the way to find them is to search under specific names like "Lactobacillus" or "S. boulardii." They've been investigated for the prevention/tx of C. difficile colitis. The trouble with them is they can also act as infectious agents, causing fungemia in susceptible, immunosuppressed patients, which has a substantial mortality rate.