CAMPYLOBACTER JEJUNI AND INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE: CURRENT INSIGHTS AND NANOPARTICLE-BASED INTERVENTIONS

Abstract

Background: Campylobacter jejuni is one of the major causes of bacterial food poisoning across the globe and recent studies have associated it with worsening of IBD. The fact that IBD is a chronic inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract worsens with infections from enteric pathogens such as C. jejuni in Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. These effects could be countered through nanoparticle-based therapies that have appeared as a more effective treatment strategy in recent years.

 Objective: This review will endeavour to identify current knowledge on the pathophysiological link between C. jejuni and IBD and also assess the viability of nanoparticle-based treatments in moderating this connection.

 Methods: The literature from the period 2010 up to 2024 was reviewed systematically, with emphasis on the part played by C. jejuni in IBD and the use of nanoparticle-based therapies. Information was collected from in vitro and in vivo studies, and clinical trials for evaluating the effectiveness of these interventions.

 Results: C. jejuni impairs the intestinal barrier, triggers strong inflammation and dysregulates the composition of the gut microbiota in IBD. In preclinical studies, the nanoparticle-based interventions showed promising approaches to decreasing bacterial burden, inflammation, and enhancing mucosal barrier.

 Conclusion: Nanoparticles can be used to deliver drugs to C. jejuni infected IBD in a controlled manner and reduce the side effects that are usually associated with the conventional drugs and therapies. But this calls for further research in a bid to harmonize these therapies as well as ascertain their safety in the clinical practice.