DUOLAC CBT-LR5 by Cell Biotech Identifies Probiotic-Based Mechanism for Cognitive Improvement

Cell Biotech has, for the first time, identified the mechanism by which its patented probiotic strain CBT-LR5 (KCTC 12202BP)—used in major products of the DUOLAC brand—improves cognitive impairment in an animal model. This study provides new scientific evidence supporting the gut–brain axis theory, which posits that gut health affects brain health. The findings were published in the SCI(E)-indexed international journal Frontiers in Microbiology (IF 4.5).

Cell Biotech developed the multi-strain probiotic MH-Pro, combining CBT-LR5 with skimmed milk powder, aiming to overcome the limitations of conventional drug therapies—which often carry high risks of side effects—and to provide a safe, probiotic-based solution for cognitive improvement. In April, a human clinical trial involving 20 elderly patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) demonstrated a significant 18.9% improvement in total scores on the Korean version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-K), providing early evidence of the product’s clinical potential.

This animal model (in vivo) study was conducted to elucidate the biological pathways underlying the cognitive improvement effects observed in human trials. The research team orally administered MH-Pro to mice with scopolamine-induced cognitive impairment—a model in which learning and memory are impaired—and analyzed six experimental groups for behavior-based cognitive function, gut microbiota changes, blood inflammatory markers, and neurotrophic factor alterations in brain tissue.

The study results showed that, in representative behavioral tests for cognitive function—the Novel Object Recognition (NOR) test and the Passive Avoidance Test (PAT)—the MH-Pro-treated groups exhibited 24% and 116% improvements, respectively, compared to the control groups. These effects were comparable to those observed in mice treated with donepezil, a standard dementia drug, highlighting the potential of a probiotic-based approach for cognitive enhancement. Additionally, mice administered CBT-LR5 showed increased beneficial gut bacteria and restored microbial diversity, indicating that improvements in the gut environment play a key role in cognitive function enhancement.

Positive changes were also observed in blood analyses. Inflammatory markers PGE2 and TNF-α decreased by 50% and 32%, respectively, while the neurotrophic factor BDNF increased by 29%. Tight junction proteins (Claudin-1, Occludin, ZO-1), critical for maintaining intestinal barrier integrity and the blood-brain barrier, increased by an average of 146% in the small intestine and 311% in brain tissue. Furthermore, signaling pathways essential for neuroplasticity (CREB, BDNF, TrkB) increased by 121% in the hippocampus and 91% in the cerebral cortex, clearly confirming the molecular mechanisms underlying cognitive improvement.

Gut microbiome analysis also revealed significant correlations between the increase of specific bacterial strains and improvements in BDNF levels and behavioral outcomes. This study is the first to scientifically demonstrate that CBT-LR5 facilitates a sequence of effects: gut environment improvement → inflammation suppression → activation of brain signaling → cognitive enhancement, highlighting its academic and industrial significance.

The patented probiotic strain CBT-LR5, derived from a Korean population, is also utilized in the innovative colorectal cancer drug PP-P8. Recognized under the U.S. FDA GRAS system for top-level safety, CBT-LR5 is included in major DUOLAC products.

A representative from Cell Biotech’s R&D Center stated, “As of 2024, approximately 1.05 million people aged 65 and older in Korea are living with dementia, and this number is expected to rise to 2.26 million by 2040. Current treatments are largely drug-based, with ongoing concerns regarding costs and side effects. This study demonstrates that DUOLAC’s CBT-LR5 probiotic may serve as a novel management strategy to improve health markers and quality of life in patients with mild cognitive impairment.”