COMPOSITIONS COMPRISING BACTERIAL STRAINS

1 .- 15 . (canceled)

16 . A method of treating one or more symptoms of a gastrointestinal inflammatory disease in a subject in need thereof, comprising administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of a composition comprising a bacterial strain of the species Blautia producta or Blautia coccoides , wherein the bacterial strain comprises a 16s rRNA gene sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 1, wherein the one or more symptoms of the gastrointestinal inflammatory disease comprises ulcerations and/or bleeding, weight loss, poor weight gain, or increased gut permeability, and wherein the administering is effective to treat the one or more symptoms of the gastrointestinal inflammatory disease in the subject.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the gastrointestinal inflammatory disease comprises colitis, Crohn's disease, or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the colitis comprises ulcerative colitis.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the ulcerative colitis comprises distal colitis, proctitis, proctosigmoiditis, left-sided colitis, extensive colitis, or pancolitis.

20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the Crohn's disease comprises Ileocolic Crohn's, Crohn's ileitis, or Crohn's colitis.

21 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the administering is effective to reduce ulcerations and/or bleeding, reduce weight loss, enhance weight gain, or reduce gut permeability in the subject with the gastrointestinal inflammatory disease, thereby treating the gastrointestinal inflammatory disease.

22 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the therapeutically effective amount comprises from about 1×10 3 to about 1×10 11 colony forming units (CFU).

23 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the composition comprises the bacterial strain in an amount from about 1×10 3 to about 1×10 11 colony forming units per gram (CFU/g), with respect to the weight of the composition.

24 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the bacterial strain is lyophilized.

25 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the bacterial strain is viable and capable of partially or totally colonizing the intestine.

26 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the composition comprises no more than de minimis or biologically irrelevant amounts of other bacterial strains or species.

27 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the composition is encapsulated.

28 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the administering comprises oral, rectal, subcutaneous, nasal, buccal, or sublingual administration.

29 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the bacterial strain does not produce butyrate.

30 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the bacterial strain comprises a 16s rRNA gene sequence that has at least 98% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 1.

31 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the bacterial strain is the strain deposited under accession number NCIMB 43170, or a derivative or a biotype thereof.

32 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of a bacterial strain of the species Blautia producta and a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient, diluent, or carrier;

wherein the bacterial strain is lyophilized;

wherein the therapeutically effective amount of the bacterial strain comprises from about 1×103 to about 1×1011 colony forming units per gram (CFU/g) with respect to the total weight of the pharmaceutical composition; and

wherein the bacterial strain comprises a 16s rRNA gene sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1

33 . A method of treating colitis in a subject with graft versus host disease (GVHD), comprising administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of a composition comprising a bacterial strain of the species Blautia producta or Blautia coccoides , wherein the bacterial strain comprises a 16s rRNA gene sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 1, and wherein the administering is effective to treat colitis in the subject with GVHD.

34 . A method of treating one or more symptoms associated with graft versus host disease (GVHD) in a subject in need thereof, comprising administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of a composition comprising a bacterial strain of the species Blautia producta or Blautia coccoides , wherein the bacterial strain comprises a 16s rRNA gene sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 1, wherein the one or more symptoms associated with GVHD comprises weight loss, poor weight gain, poor skin integrity, or increased gut permeability, and wherein the administering is effective to treat the one or more symptoms associated with GVHD in the subject.

35 . A method of treating an inflammatory or autoimmune disease in a subject in need thereof, comprising administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of a composition comprising a bacterial strain of the species Blautia producta , wherein the bacterial strain comprises a 16s rRNA gene sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1.