GLYCAN COMPOSITIONS AND USES THEREOF

1 . A method of modulating the abundance of a bacterial taxa in a non-gut body site containing mucosal tissue of a human subject, comprising: locally administering to the non-gut body site a pharmaceutical composition comprising a glycan preparation in an amount effective to modulate the bacterial taxa in the non-gut body site containing mucosal tissue of the human subject, wherein the glycan preparation has the following properties:

i) the glycan preparation comprises branched glycans that comprise glucose, galactose, arabinose, mannose, fructose, xylose, fucose, or rhamnose glycan units,

ii) the average degree of branching (DB) of the branched glycans in the glycan preparation is between about 0.01 and about 0.6,

iii) at least 50% of the glycans in the glycan preparation have a degree of polymerization (DP) of at least 3 and less than 30 glycan units,

iv) the average DP of the glycan preparation is between about DP3 and about DP18,

v) the ratio of alpha- to beta-glycosidic bonds present in the glycans of the glycan preparation is between about 0.8:1 and about 5:1, and optionally

vi) the glycan preparation has a final solubility limit in water of at least about 60 Brix at 23° C.;

wherein the non-gut body site containing mucosal tissue of a human subject is the vagina, and wherein the abundance of a bacterial taxa of the genus Lactobacillus is modulated in the vagina.

2 - 21 . (canceled)

22 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the abundance of a bacterial taxa of the species Lactobacillus crispatus, Lactobacillus gasseri, or Lactobacillus iners is modulated in the vagina.

23 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the abundance of at least two bacterial taxa of the species Lactobacillus crispatus, Lactobacillus gasseri, or Lactobacillus iners are modulated in the vagina.

24 . The method of claim 1 , wherein modulating comprises increasing the abundance of the bacterial taxa by at least 5%, 10%, or by at least 20%.

25 - 29 . (canceled)

30 . The method of claim 1 , wherein modulating the abundance of a bacterial taxa in a non-gut body site containing mucosal tissue of a human subject modulates the microbial diversity of the non-gut body site, wherein microbial diversity is decreased by loss of a bacterial taxa or by at least 5% or at least 0.3 log-fold.

31 - 32 . (canceled)

33 . The method of claim 1 , wherein modulating the abundance of a bacterial taxa in a non-gut body site containing mucosal tissue of a human subject modulates the pH of the non-gut body site, wherein the pH becomes more acidic by at least about 0.25 pH units or at least 0.5 pH units.

34 - 35 . (canceled)

36 . The method of claim 1 , wherein modulating the abundance of a bacterial taxa in a non-gut body site containing mucosal tissue of a human subject modulates the profile of a microbial metabolite in the non-gut body site.

37 - 38 . (canceled)

39 . The method of claim 36 , wherein modulation comprises decreasing the level of a volatile fatty acid in the non-gut body site.

40 . The method of claim 1 , wherein modulating the abundance of a bacterial taxa in a non-gut body site containing mucosal tissue of a human subject treats a disease, disorder or pathological condition at the non-gut body site.

41 - 45 . (canceled)

46 . The method of claim 40 , wherein the disease, disorder or pathological condition at the vagina is bacterial vaginosis (BV), vaginal discharge, pelvic inflammatory disease, infection with vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), Group B Streptococcus infection, sexually transmitted infectious diseases, cervicitis, desquamative inflammatory vaginitis (DIV), vaginal Staphylococcus infection, and risk for a preterm birth or miscarriage.

47 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising locally or systemically administering an antimicrobial agent.

48 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising locally or systemically administering an anti-inflammatory agent or steroid.

49 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising locally administering a beneficial bacterial taxa to the non-gut body site.

50 - 58 . (canceled)

59 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the glycan preparation is introduced through the vaginal opening.

60 - 61 . (canceled)

62 . The method of claim 1 , wherein modulating the abundance of a bacterial taxa in the non-gut body site containing mucosal tissue of a human subject reduces odor produced by the site.

63 - 90 . (canceled)

91 . A kit comprising a unit dosage form of a glycan preparation for local administration to a non-gut body site containing a mucosal tissue, wherein the glycan preparation has the following properties:

i) the glycan preparation comprises branched glycans that comprise glucose, galactose, arabinose, mannose, fructose, xylose, fucose, or rhamnose glycan units,

ii) the average degree of branching (DB) of the branched glycans in the glycan preparation is between about 0.01 and about 0.6 or between 0.05 and about 0.5,

iii) at least 50% of the glycans in the glycan preparation have a degree of polymerization (DP) of at least 3 and less than 30 glycan units,

iv) the average DP of the glycan preparation is between about DP2 and about DP20, between about DP3 and about DP15, between about DP3 and about DP8, between about DP5 and about DP10, or between about DP6 and about DP18,

v) the ratio of alpha- to beta-glycosidic bonds present in the glycans of the glycan preparation is between about 1:1 and about 5:1 or between about 0.8:1 and about 5:1, and/or

vi) the glycan preparation has a final solubility limit in water of at least about 60 Brix at 23° C.,

wherein the non-gut body site containing mucosal tissue is the vagina, and

wherein the unit dosage form for administration to the vagina comprises a suppository, cream, ointment, solution, suspension, emulsion, vaginal ring, tampon, pad, douche, sponge, strip, spray, foam, applicator, or adhesive.

92 . The kit of claim 91 , further comprising a second therapeutic agent wherein the second therapeutic agent comprises an antibiotic, a vaginally applied hormone, an antifungal, or a beneficial bacteria.

93 - 119 . (canceled)

120 . The method of claim 1 , wherein further the relative abundance of a taxa of the genus Actinomyces, Aerococcus, Atopobium, Bacteroides, Corynebacterium, Dialister, Eggerthella, Escherichia, Gardnerella, Haemophilus, Leptotrichia, Listeria, Megasphaera, Mycoplasma, Mobiluncus, Neisseria, Peptoniphilus, Peptostreptococcus, Porphyromonas, Prevotella, Sneathia, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, and Ureaplasma, or the order Clostridiales is decreased relative to the bacterial community in the non-gut body site.

121 . The method of claim 120 , wherein the Clostridiales bacterium is bacterial vaginosis-associated bacterium-1 (BVAB-1), BVAB-2, or BVAB-3.

122 . A method of modulating the abundance of a bacterial taxa in a non-gut body site containing mucosal tissue of a human subject, comprising: locally administering to the non-gut body site a pharmaceutical composition comprising a glycan preparation in an amount effective to modulate the bacterial taxa in the non-gut body site containing mucosal tissue of the human subject, wherein the glycan preparation has the following properties:

i) the glycan preparation comprises branched glycans that comprise glucose, galactose, arabinose, mannose, fructose, xylose, fucose, or rhamnose glycan units,

ii) the average degree of branching (DB) of the branched glycans in the glycan preparation is between about 0.01 and about 0.6,

iii) at least 50% of the glycans in the glycan preparation have a degree of polymerization (DP) of at least 3 and less than 30 glycan units,

iv) the average DP of the glycan preparation is between about DP3 and about DP18,

v) the ratio of alpha- to beta-glycosidic bonds present in the glycans of the glycan preparation is between about 0.8:1 and about 5:1, and optionally

vi) the glycan preparation has a final solubility limit in water of at least about 60 Brix at 23° C.;

wherein the non-gut body site containing mucosal tissue of a human subject is the nasal cavity, and wherein the abundance of a bacterial taxa of the genus Corynebacterium, Alloiococcus, or Staphylococcus is modulated in the nasal cavity.

123 . A method of modulating the abundance of a bacterial taxa in a non-gut body site containing mucosal tissue of a human subject, comprising: locally administering to the non-gut body site a pharmaceutical composition comprising a glycan preparation in an amount effective to modulate the bacterial taxa in the non-gut body site containing mucosal tissue of the human subject, wherein the glycan preparation has the following properties:

i) the glycan preparation comprises branched glycans that comprise glucose, galactose, arabinose, mannose, fructose, xylose, fucose, or rhamnose glycan units,

ii) the average degree of branching (DB) of the branched glycans in the glycan preparation is between about 0.01 and about 0.6,

iii) at least 50% of the glycans in the glycan preparation have a degree of polymerization (DP) of at least 3 and less than 30 glycan units,

iv) the average DP of the glycan preparation is between about DP3 and about DP18,

v) the ratio of alpha- to beta-glycosidic bonds present in the glycans of the glycan preparation is between about 0.8:1 and about 5:1, and optionally

vi) the glycan preparation has a final solubility limit in water of at least about 60 Brix at 23° C.;

wherein the non-gut body site containing mucosal tissue of a human subject is the oral cavity, and wherein the abundance of a bacterial taxa of the genus Prevotella, Oribacterium, Bifidobacterium, or Moryella is modulated in the oral cavity.