Table_1_Probiotics for the Management of Infectious Diseases: Reviewing the State of the Art.DOCX

This review aims to provide insight into the potential of probiotics as a clinical modality targeted at infectious diseases by creating a comprehensive overview of the state of the art of research and development efforts as shown by patents and clinical trials of the past 20 years. Data were retrieved from patent and clinical trial databases to reflect the long- and short-term developments of probiotics research. The data were analyzed to extract information on the total number of patents and trials for each indication, application date and location, and applicant/sponsor type. A total of 80 infectious diseases were investigated, precipitating in 789 patents and 602 clinical trials for 67 indications studied as targets of probiotics. An increasing trend was seen for the number of patents and clinical trials that were applied for since 1999 with the highest number of patents and clinical trials targeted to digestive tract, respiratory, and urogenital indications. Overall, research demonstrated a substantial interest in probiotics targeting infectious diseases, which was in line with reported unmet needs and global probiotics sales estimates. However, the declining rate of translation from patents to clinical trials indicates that there are some barriers obstructing the research process.

本综述旨在通过全面梳理近20年来专利与临床试验所展现的益生菌（probiotics）研发前沿进展，深入剖析益生菌作为针对传染病的临床治疗手段的潜力。研究数据源自专利及临床试验数据库，以反映益生菌研究的长期与短期发展脉络。对所获数据开展分析，提取了各适应症、申请日期、申请地域以及申请人/申办方类型对应的专利与试验总数信息。本次研究共纳入80种传染病，最终筛选得到针对67个益生菌靶向适应症的789项专利与602项临床试验。自1999年起，专利与临床试验的申请量呈持续增长趋势，其中针对消化道、呼吸道及泌尿生殖道适应症的相关申请数量位居前列。总体而言，学界对靶向传染病的益生菌研究表现出浓厚兴趣，这与已报道的未满足医疗需求及全球益生菌市场销售预估情况相一致。然而，专利向临床试验转化的速率呈下降趋势，表明当前益生菌研究进程中仍存在若干阻碍因素。