Rutgers Study: Can Probiotics Help Protect Against COVID-19?

NEW JERSEY — Some nutritional experts say probiotics – bacteria naturally found in the intestines – can help to treat certain stomach issues, among other health benefits. But can they also help people protect themselves against the coronavirus? That’s what a team of Rutgers researchers want to find out.

On Thursday, Rutgers University announced that it has launched a clinical research study to test whether probiotics boost the body’s natural defenses against COVID-19.

Here’s how it will work, university spokespeople said:

“A group of 54 unvaccinated participants who have had COVID-19 will be randomly assigned to receive either standard-dose or high-dose probiotics – live beneficial bacteria naturally found in the intestines –or an inactive placebo for three weeks. Participants are asked to fill out weekly surveys for six weeks and provide saliva, stool and samples from the blood and nostrils. These samples will be used to determine whether probiotics increase COVID-19 antibody levels and other parts of the immune system that can protect against COVID-19.”

“Probiotics are widely used in foods and supplements, generally regarded as safe, and have been shown to have various health benefits,” said lead investigator Daniel Horton, an assistant professor at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

“The probiotics being tested in this trial were chosen specifically to boost the body's immune protection against COVID-19,” Horton said. “This trial will give us insights into a potentially novel way to help in the fight against COVID-19.”

The trial is being run virtually In partnership with Vault Health Inc., with people being able to participate exclusively from their homes, researchers said.

“The investigation of particular probiotics for their efficacy in controlled clinical studies is consistent with the aims of the recently formed Rutgers University Microbiome Program (RUMP) to bring microbiome advances into the clinic,” said Martin Blaser, one of the RUMP leaders, and coinvestigator in the study.

People interested in volunteering to be considered for the clinical trial can visit https://learn.vaulthealth.com/rutgers-trial/ or contact clinical_trials_support@vaulthealth.com or call (929) 390-4709. Additional information about the trial can be found here.

Rutgers University researchers aren’t the only ones taking a hard look at probiotics amid the pandemic. Clinical trials are underway globally to find out if they can play a potential role in the prevention and treatment of the coronavirus.

Rutgers has been knee-deep in the fight against COVID-19 since the disease reared its head in the U.S., running clinical trials for the Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, in addition to a range of other coronavirus-related studies.

• Rutgers Develops Rapid Test For COVID Variants, Declines Patent
• Rutgers Scientist Who Invented COVID Spit Test Dies At 51
• Rutgers Gets NIH Grant To Invent Coronavirus Breath Test
• Rutgers Studies Myocarditis In COVID-Positive Big 10 Athletes

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