Compositions comprising bacterial strains

Abstract

The invention provides compositions comprising bacterial strains for treating and preventing inflammatory and autoimmune diseases

1 - 49 . (canceled) 
     
     
         50 . A method of treating a disease or condition mediated by IL-17 or the Th17 pathway in a subject in need thereof, the method comprising: administering to the subject a composition comprising a bacterial strain of the genus Blautia, wherein the Blautia bacterial strain comprises a 16s rRNA gene sequence with at least 95% sequence identity to the 16s rRNA gene sequence of SEQ ID NO:4, wherein subject has an elevated level of IL-17, and wherein the administering is effective to reduce the level of IL-17 compared to the level of IL-17 in the subject prior to the administering. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the sequence identity is determined by a Smith-Waterman homology search algorithm using an affine gap search with a gap open penalty of 12 and a gap extension penalty of 2. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the disease or condition comprises rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, asthma, allergic asthma, neutrophilic asthma, osteoarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, neuromyelitis optica (Devic’s disease), ankylosing spondylitis, spondyloarthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, celiac disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, ovarian cancer, uveitis, scleritis, vasculitis, Behcet’s disease, atherosclerosis, atopic dermatitis, emphysema, periodontitis, allergic rhinitis, or allograft rejection. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the Blautia bacterial strain is present the composition in an amount that comprises from about 1 × 10 6  to about 1 × 10 11  CFU/g of the Blautia bacteria strain with respect to a total weight of the composition. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the Blautia bacterial strain is present in the composition in an amount that comprises from about 1 × 10 8  to about 1 × 10 10  CFU/g of the Blautia bacteria strain with respect to a total weight of the composition. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the Blautia bacterial strain comprises a 16s rRNA gene sequence with at least 98% sequence identity to the 16s rRNA gene sequence of SEQ ID NO:4, determined by a Smith-Waterman homology search algorithm using an affine gap search with a gap open penalty of 12 and a gap extension penalty of 2. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the Blautia bacterial strain comprises a 16s rRNA gene sequence with at least 99% sequence identity to the 16s rRNA gene sequence of SEQ ID NO:4, determined by a Smith-Waterman homology search algorithm using an affine gap search with a gap open penalty of 12 and a gap extension penalty of 2. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the composition further comprises a prebiotic compound. 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the Blautia bacterial strain is live. 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the Blautia bacterial strain is lyophilized. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the Blautia bacterial strain colonizes an intestine when administered to a subject. 
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the composition is formulated for oral delivery. 
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the composition is formulated for rectal delivery. 
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the composition is formulated as a tablet, capsule, or powder. 
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the composition is encapsulated. 
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the composition does not comprise a therapeutically effective amount of additional bacteria strains. 
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the composition further comprises a preservative, an antioxidant, or a stabilizer. 
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the composition further comprises an adjuvant. 
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the composition further comprises a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient, diluent, or carrier. 
     
     
         69 . The method of  claim 68 , wherein the composition comprises a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, wherein the pharmaceutically acceptable carrier is selected from the group consisting of lactose, starch, glucose, methyl cellulose, magnesium stearate, mannitol, and sorbitol.