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Gene Edit Makes Probiotic Safer for Immunocompromised Patients

An international team genetically deleted the ENA1 gene from Saccharomyces boulardii, a common probiotic yeast. In immunosuppressed mice, the ENA1‑deficient strain showed no mortality, raising survival from 30‑40% to 100% compared with wild‑type isolates. The edit also reduced osmotic stress tolerance, a trait linked to virulence, while preserving the yeast’s ability to inhibit pathogenic bacteria and colonize the gut. Findings were published in Communications Biology, highlighting a path toward safer probiotic therapies for immunocompromised, elderly and infant populations.