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Cui L, Watanabe S, Miyanaga K, Kiga K, Sasahara T, Aiba Y, Tan XE, Veeranarayanan S, Thitiananpakorn K, Nguyen HM, Wannigama DL. A Comprehensive Review on Phage Therapy and Phage-Based Drug Development. Antibiotics (Basel) 2024; 13:870. [PMID: 39335043 PMCID: PMC11428490 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics13090870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2024] [Revised: 09/06/2024] [Accepted: 09/08/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Phage therapy, the use of bacteriophages (phages) to treat bacterial infections, is regaining momentum as a promising weapon against the rising threat of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. This comprehensive review explores the historical context, the modern resurgence of phage therapy, and phage-facilitated advancements in medical and technological fields. It details the mechanisms of action and applications of phages in treating MDR bacterial infections, particularly those associated with biofilms and intracellular pathogens. The review further highlights innovative uses of phages in vaccine development, cancer therapy, and as gene delivery vectors. Despite its targeted and efficient approach, phage therapy faces challenges related to phage stability, immune response, and regulatory approval. By examining these areas in detail, this review underscores the immense potential and remaining hurdles in integrating phage-based therapies into modern medical practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longzhu Cui
- Division of Bacteriology, Department of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke City 329-0498, Japan
| | - Shinya Watanabe
- Division of Bacteriology, Department of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke City 329-0498, Japan
| | - Kazuhiko Miyanaga
- Division of Bacteriology, Department of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke City 329-0498, Japan
| | - Kotaro Kiga
- Division of Bacteriology, Department of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke City 329-0498, Japan
- Research Center for Drug and Vaccine Development, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan
| | - Teppei Sasahara
- Division of Bacteriology, Department of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke City 329-0498, Japan
| | - Yoshifumi Aiba
- Division of Bacteriology, Department of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke City 329-0498, Japan
| | - Xin-Ee Tan
- Division of Bacteriology, Department of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke City 329-0498, Japan
| | - Srivani Veeranarayanan
- Division of Bacteriology, Department of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke City 329-0498, Japan
| | - Kanate Thitiananpakorn
- Division of Bacteriology, Department of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke City 329-0498, Japan
| | - Huong Minh Nguyen
- Division of Bacteriology, Department of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke City 329-0498, Japan
| | - Dhammika Leshan Wannigama
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Infection Control, Yamagata Prefectural Central Hospital, Yamagata 990-2292, Japan
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Wang C, Wang S, Jing S, Zeng Y, Yang L, Mu Y, Ding Z, Song Y, Sun Y, Zhang G, Wei D, Li M, Ma Y, Zhou H, Wu L, Feng J. Data-Driven Engineering of Phages with Tunable Capsule Tropism for Klebsiella pneumoniae. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2309972. [PMID: 38937990 PMCID: PMC11434222 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202309972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
Klebsiella pneumoniae, a major clinical pathogen known for causing severe infections, is attracting heightened attention due to its escalating antibiotic resistance. Phages are emerging as a promising alternative to antibiotics; however, their specificity to particular hosts often restricts their use. In this study, a collection of 114 phages is obtained and subjected to analysis against 238 clinical K. pneumoniae strains, revealing a spectrum of lytic behaviors. A correlation between putative tail protein clusters and lysis patterns leads to the discovery of six receptor-binding protein (RBP) clusters that determine host capsule tropism. Significantly, RBPs with cross-capsular lysis capabilities are identified. The newly-identified RBPs provide a toolbox for customizing phages to target diverse capsular types. Building on the toolbox, the engineered phages with altered RBPs successfully shifted and broadened their host capsule tropism, setting the stage for tunable phage that offer a precise and flexible solution to combat K. pneumoniae infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100101China
| | - Shiwei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Resources Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology of Shaanxi Province, the College of Life Sciences, Northwest UniversityXi'an710069China
| | - Shisong Jing
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100101China
- College of Life ScienceUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100049China
| | - Yuan Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100101China
| | - Lili Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100101China
- Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical SciencesJinan250117China
| | - Yongqi Mu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100101China
- College of Life ScienceUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100049China
| | - Zixuan Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100101China
- Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical SciencesJinan250117China
| | - Yuqin Song
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100101China
| | - Yanmei Sun
- Key Laboratory of Resources Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology of Shaanxi Province, the College of Life Sciences, Northwest UniversityXi'an710069China
| | - Gang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100101China
| | - Dawei Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100101China
| | - Ming Li
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100101China
| | - Yingfei Ma
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of SciencesShenzhen518000China
| | - Haijian Zhou
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Diseases Prevention and ControlNational Institute for Communicable Disease Control and PreventionChinese Center for Disease Control and PreventionBeijing102206China
| | - Linhuan Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100101China
| | - Jie Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100101China
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Lv S, Wang Y, Jiang K, Guo X, Zhang J, Zhou F, Li Q, Jiang Y, Yang C, Teng T. Genetic Engineering and Biosynthesis Technology: Keys to Unlocking the Chains of Phage Therapy. Viruses 2023; 15:1736. [PMID: 37632078 PMCID: PMC10457950 DOI: 10.3390/v15081736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Phages possess the ability to selectively eliminate pathogenic bacteria by recognizing bacterial surface receptors. Since their discovery, phages have been recognized for their potent bactericidal properties, making them a promising alternative to antibiotics in the context of rising antibiotic resistance. However, the rapid emergence of phage-resistant strains (generally involving temperature phage) and the limited host range of most phage strains have hindered their antibacterial efficacy, impeding their full potential. In recent years, advancements in genetic engineering and biosynthesis technology have facilitated the precise engineering of phages, thereby unleashing their potential as a novel source of antibacterial agents. In this review, we present a comprehensive overview of the diverse strategies employed for phage genetic engineering, as well as discuss their benefits and drawbacks in terms of bactericidal effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sixuan Lv
- School of Nursing and Health, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
- Institute of Biomedical Informatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
| | - Yuhan Wang
- Institute of Biomedical Informatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
| | - Kaixin Jiang
- School of Nursing and Health, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
- Institute of Biomedical Informatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
| | - Xinge Guo
- School of Nursing and Health, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
- Institute of Biomedical Informatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- School of Nursing and Health, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
- Institute of Biomedical Informatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
| | - Fang Zhou
- School of Nursing and Health, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
- Institute of Biomedical Informatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
| | - Qiming Li
- School of Nursing and Health, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
- Institute of Biomedical Informatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
| | - Yuan Jiang
- Institute of Biomedical Informatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
| | - Changyong Yang
- School of Nursing and Health, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
| | - Tieshan Teng
- School of Nursing and Health, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
- Institute of Biomedical Informatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
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More's the Same-Multiple Hosts Do Not Select for Broader Host Range Phages. Viruses 2023; 15:v15020518. [PMID: 36851732 PMCID: PMC9960766 DOI: 10.3390/v15020518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophage host range is a result of the interactions between phages and their hosts. For phage therapy, phages with a broader host range are desired so that a phage can infect and kill the broadest range of pathogen strains or related species possible. A common, but not well-tested, belief is that using multiple hosts during the phage isolation will make the isolation of broader host range phage more likely. Using a Bacillus cereus group system, we compared the host ranges of phages isolated on one or four hosts and found that there was no difference in the breadth of host ranges of the isolated phages. Both narrow and broader host range phage were also equally likely to be isolated from either isolation procedure. While there are methods that reliably isolate broader host range phages, such as sequential host isolation, and there are other reasons to use multiple hosts during isolation, multiple hosts are not a consistent way to obtain broader host range phages.
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Beopoulos A, Géa M, Fasano A, Iris F. RNA epitranscriptomics dysregulation: A major determinant for significantly increased risk of ASD pathogenesis. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1101422. [PMID: 36875672 PMCID: PMC9978375 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1101422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are perhaps the most severe, intractable and challenging child psychiatric disorders. They are complex, pervasive and highly heterogeneous and depend on multifactorial neurodevelopmental conditions. Although the pathogenesis of autism remains unclear, it revolves around altered neurodevelopmental patterns and their implications for brain function, although these cannot be specifically linked to symptoms. While these affect neuronal migration and connectivity, little is known about the processes that lead to the disruption of specific laminar excitatory and inhibitory cortical circuits, a key feature of ASD. It is evident that ASD has multiple underlying causes and this multigenic condition has been considered to also dependent on epigenetic effects, although the exact nature of the factors that could be involved remains unclear. However, besides the possibility for differential epigenetic markings directly affecting the relative expression levels of individual genes or groups of genes, there are at least three mRNA epitranscriptomic mechanisms, which function cooperatively and could, in association with both genotypes and environmental conditions, alter spatiotemporal proteins expression patterns during brain development, at both quantitative and qualitative levels, in a tissue-specific, and context-dependent manner. As we have already postulated, sudden changes in environmental conditions, such as those conferred by maternal inflammation/immune activation, influence RNA epitranscriptomic mechanisms, with the combination of these processes altering fetal brain development. Herein, we explore the postulate whereby, in ASD pathogenesis, RNA epitranscriptomics might take precedence over epigenetic modifications. RNA epitranscriptomics affects real-time differential expression of receptor and channel proteins isoforms, playing a prominent role in central nervous system (CNS) development and functions, but also RNAi which, in turn, impact the spatiotemporal expression of receptors, channels and regulatory proteins irrespective of isoforms. Slight dysregulations in few early components of brain development, could, depending upon their extent, snowball into a huge variety of pathological cerebral alterations a few years after birth. This may very well explain the enormous genetic, neuropathological and symptomatic heterogeneities that are systematically associated with ASD and psychiatric disorders at large.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Manuel Géa
- Bio-Modeling Systems, Tour CIT, Paris, France
| | - Alessio Fasano
- Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, Center for Celiac Research and Treatment, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, Boston, MA, United States
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Lee HJ, Kim HJ, Lee SJ. Control of λ Lysogenic Escherichia coli Cells by Synthetic λ Phage Carrying cIantisense. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:3829-3835. [PMID: 36326101 PMCID: PMC9680875 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Enterobacterial phage λ is a temperate phage that infects Escherichia coli and has a lytic-lysogenic life cycle. CI, a λ repressor, regulates the expression of lytic transcripts and acts as a major genetic switch that determines the lysogenic state. To manipulate the genome of phage λ, the CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing system was constructed in lysogenic E. coli MG1655 cells. For instance, we successfully changed cI857 to cIWT in the phage genome through Cas9-mediated single-nucleotide editing. A lytic phage was prepared by introducing an amber mutation in the middle of the cI gene, but it could not lyse lysogenic MG1655 cells. We prepared a phage expressing cI antisense mRNA by reverse substitution of the cI gene. Lysis of λ cI857 lysogenic cells occurred by the infection of the λ cIantisense. These results suggest an effective lysogenic cell control method by a synthetic phage expressing antisense mRNA of the genetic switch gene. It is expected to be applied as a tool to control harmful lysogenic microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ho Joung Lee
- Department of Systems Biotechnology
and Institute of Microbiomics, Chung-Ang
University, Anseong 17546, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Ju Kim
- Department of Systems Biotechnology
and Institute of Microbiomics, Chung-Ang
University, Anseong 17546, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Jun Lee
- Department of Systems Biotechnology
and Institute of Microbiomics, Chung-Ang
University, Anseong 17546, Republic of Korea
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7
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Beopoulos A, Géa M, Fasano A, Iris F. Autism spectrum disorders pathogenesis: Toward a comprehensive model based on neuroanatomic and neurodevelopment considerations. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:988735. [PMID: 36408388 PMCID: PMC9671112 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.988735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) involves alterations in neural connectivity affecting cortical network organization and excitation to inhibition ratio. It is characterized by an early increase in brain volume mediated by abnormal cortical overgrowth patterns and by increases in size, spine density, and neuron population in the amygdala and surrounding nuclei. Neuronal expansion is followed by a rapid decline from adolescence to middle age. Since no known neurobiological mechanism in human postnatal life is capable of generating large excesses of frontocortical neurons, this likely occurs due to a dysregulation of layer formation and layer-specific neuronal migration during key early stages of prenatal cerebral cortex development. This leads to the dysregulation of post-natal synaptic pruning and results in a huge variety of forms and degrees of signal-over-noise discrimination losses, accounting for ASD clinical heterogeneities, including autonomic nervous system abnormalities and comorbidities. We postulate that sudden changes in environmental conditions linked to serotonin/kynurenine supply to the developing fetus, throughout the critical GW7 - GW20 (Gestational Week) developmental window, are likely to promote ASD pathogenesis during fetal brain development. This appears to be driven by discrete alterations in differentiation and patterning mechanisms arising from in utero RNA editing, favoring vulnerability outcomes over plasticity outcomes. This paper attempts to provide a comprehensive model of the pathogenesis and progression of ASD neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Alessio Fasano
- Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, Boston, MA, United States
- Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Center for Celiac Research and Treatment, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, Boston, MA, United States
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Luo J, Liu M, Wang P, Li Q, Luo C, Wei H, Hu Y, Yu J. Evaluation of a direct phage DNA detection-based Taqman qPCR methodology for quantification of phage and its application in rapid ultrasensitive identification of Acinetobacter baumannii. BMC Infect Dis 2022; 22:523. [PMID: 35672689 PMCID: PMC9172196 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-022-07493-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Rapid phage enumeration/quantitation and viable bacteria determination is critical for phage application and treatment of infectious patients caused by the pathogenic bacteria. Methods In the current study, a direct phage DNA detection-based Taqman qPCR methodology for quantification of phage P53 and rapid ultrasensitive identification of Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) was evaluated. Results The assay was capable of quantifying P53 phage DNA without DNA extraction and the detection limit of the assay was 550 PFU/mL. The agreement bias between the quantitative results of three different phage concentrations in this assay and double agar overlay plaque assay were under 3.38%. Through the built detection system, down to 1 log CFU/mL of viable A. baumannii can be detected within 4 h in A. baumannii spiked swab and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples. Compared with the Taqman qPCR that targets the conserved sequence of A. baumannii, the sensitivity of the assay built in this study could increase four orders of magnitude. Conclusions The methodology offers a valid alternative for enumeration of freshly prepared phage solution and diagnosis of bacterial infection caused by A. baumannii or other bacterial infection in complicated samples through switching to phages against other bacteria. Furthermore, the assay could offer drug adjustment strategy timely owing to the detection of bacteria vitality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Luo
- The First College of Clinical Medical Science, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, China. .,Central Laboratory, The First College of Clinical Medical Science, China Three Gorges University and Yichang Central People's Hospital, Yichang, 443003, China. .,Yichang Central People's Hospital, Yichang, China.
| | - Min Liu
- The First College of Clinical Medical Science, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, China.,Yichang Central People's Hospital, Yichang, China
| | - Peng Wang
- The First College of Clinical Medical Science, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, China.,Yichang Central People's Hospital, Yichang, China
| | - Qianyuan Li
- The First College of Clinical Medical Science, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, China.,Yichang Central People's Hospital, Yichang, China
| | - Chunhua Luo
- The First College of Clinical Medical Science, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, China.,Yichang Central People's Hospital, Yichang, China
| | - Hongping Wei
- CAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, Hubei, China
| | - Yuanyuan Hu
- Medical College, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, 443002, China.
| | - Junping Yu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, Hubei, China.
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Beopoulos A, Gea M, Fasano A, Iris F. Autonomic Nervous System Neuroanatomical Alterations Could Provoke and Maintain Gastrointestinal Dysbiosis in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): A Novel Microbiome-Host Interaction Mechanistic Hypothesis. Nutrients 2021; 14:65. [PMID: 35010940 PMCID: PMC8746684 DOI: 10.3390/nu14010065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Dysbiosis secondary to environmental factors, including dietary patterns, antibiotics use, pollution exposure, and other lifestyle factors, has been associated to many non-infective chronic inflammatory diseases. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is related to maternal inflammation, although there is no conclusive evidence that affected individuals suffer from systemic low-grade inflammation as in many psychological and psychiatric diseases. However, neuro-inflammation and neuro-immune abnormalities are observed within ASD-affected individuals. Rebalancing human gut microbiota to treat disease has been widely investigated with inconclusive and contradictory findings. These observations strongly suggest that the forms of dysbiosis encountered in ASD-affected individuals could also originate from autonomic nervous system (ANS) functioning abnormalities, a common neuro-anatomical alteration underlying ASD. According to this hypothesis, overactivation of the sympathetic branch of the ANS, due to the fact of an ASD-specific parasympathetic activity deficit, induces deregulation of the gut-brain axis, attenuating intestinal immune and osmotic homeostasis. This sets-up a dysbiotic state, that gives rise to immune and osmotic dysregulation, maintaining dysbiosis in a vicious cycle. Here, we explore the mechanisms whereby ANS imbalances could lead to alterations in intestinal microbiome-host interactions that may contribute to the severity of ASD by maintaining the brain-gut axis pathways in a dysregulated state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Athanasios Beopoulos
- Bio-Modeling Systems, Tour CIT, 3 Rue de l’Arrivée, 75015 Paris, France; (A.B.); (M.G.)
| | - Manuel Gea
- Bio-Modeling Systems, Tour CIT, 3 Rue de l’Arrivée, 75015 Paris, France; (A.B.); (M.G.)
| | - Alessio Fasano
- Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, Center for Celiac Research and Treatment, Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, Boston, MA 022114, USA;
| | - François Iris
- Bio-Modeling Systems, Tour CIT, 3 Rue de l’Arrivée, 75015 Paris, France; (A.B.); (M.G.)
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Pandit P, Galande S, Iris F. Maternal malnutrition and anaemia in India: dysregulations leading to the 'thin-fat' phenotype in newborns. J Nutr Sci 2021; 10:e91. [PMID: 34733503 PMCID: PMC8532069 DOI: 10.1017/jns.2021.83] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Revised: 09/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal and child malnutrition and anaemia remain the leading factors for health loss in India. Low birth weight (LBW) offspring of women suffering from chronic malnutrition and anaemia often exhibit insulin resistance and infantile stunting and wasting, together with increased risk of developing cardiometabolic disorders in adulthood. The resulting self-perpetuating and highly multifactorial disease burden cannot be remedied through uniform dietary recommendations alone. To inform approaches likely to alleviate this disease burden, we implemented a systems-analytical approach that had already proven its efficacy in multiple published studies. We utilised previously published qualitative and quantitative analytical results of rural and urban field studies addressing maternal and infantile metabolic and nutritional parameters to precisely define the range of pathological phenotypes encountered and their individual biological characteristics. These characteristics were then integrated, via extensive literature searches, into metabolic and physiological mechanisms to identify the maternal and foetal metabolic dysregulations most likely to underpin the 'thin-fat' phenotype in LBW infants and its associated pathological consequences. Our analyses reveal hitherto poorly understood maternal nutrition-dependent mechanisms most likely to promote and sustain the self-perpetuating high disease burden, especially in the Indian population. This work suggests that it most probably is the metabolic consequence of 'ill-nutrition' - the recent and rapid dietary shifts to high salt, high saturated fats and high sugar but low micronutrient diets - over an adaptation to 'thrifty metabolism' which must be addressed in interventions aiming to significantly alleviate the leading risk factors for health deterioration in India.
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Key Words
- 5-mTHF, 5-methyltetrahydrofolate
- Anaemia
- BAT, brown adipocyte tissue
- EAA, essential amino acids
- FA, fatty acid
- GSH, glutathione
- Hcy, homocysteine
- LBW, low birth weight
- Low birth weight
- Malnutrition
- PE, phosphatidylethanolamine
- Pathological mechanisms
- Physiological programming
- SAM, S-adenosyl methionine
- TG, triacylglycerol
- WAT, white adipocyte tissue
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sanjeev Galande
- Arbuza Regenerate Private Limited, Pune, India
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune411008, India
- Department of Life Sciences, Shiv Nadar University, Delhi-NCR, India
| | - François Iris
- Arbuza Regenerate Private Limited, Pune, India
- BM-Systems Private Limited, Paris, France
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11
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Łobocka M, Dąbrowska K, Górski A. Engineered Bacteriophage Therapeutics: Rationale, Challenges and Future. BioDrugs 2021; 35:255-280. [PMID: 33881767 PMCID: PMC8084836 DOI: 10.1007/s40259-021-00480-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The current problems with increasing bacterial resistance to antibacterial therapies, resulting in a growing frequency of incurable bacterial infections, necessitates the acceleration of studies on antibacterials of a new generation that could offer an alternative to antibiotics or support their action. Bacteriophages (phages) can kill antibiotic-sensitive as well as antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and thus are a major subject of such studies. Their efficacy in curing bacterial infections has been demonstrated in in vivo experiments and in the clinic. Unlike antibiotics, phages have a narrow range of specificity, which makes them safe for commensal microbiota. However, targeting even only the most clinically relevant strains of pathogenic bacteria requires large collections of well characterized phages, whose specificity would cover all such strains. The environment is a rich source of diverse phages, but due to their complex relationships with bacteria and safety concerns, only some naturally occurring phages can be considered for therapeutic applications. Still, their number and diversity make a detailed characterization of all potentially promising phages virtually impossible. Moreover, no single phage combines all the features required of an ideal therapeutic agent. Additionally, the rapid acquisition of phage resistance by bacteria may make phages already approved for therapy ineffective and turn the search for environmental phages of better efficacy and new specificity into an endless race. An alternative strategy for acquiring phages with desired properties in a short time with minimal cost regarding their acquisition, characterization, and approval for therapy could be based on targeted genome modifications of phage isolates with known properties. The first example demonstrating the potential of this strategy in curing bacterial diseases resistant to traditional therapy is the recent successful treatment of a progressing disseminated Mycobacterium abscessus infection in a teenage patient with the use of an engineered phage. In this review, we briefly present current methods of phage genetic engineering, highlighting their advantages and disadvantages, and provide examples of genetically engineered phages with a modified host range, improved safety or antibacterial activity, and proven therapeutic efficacy. We also summarize novel uses of engineered phages not only for killing pathogenic bacteria, but also for in situ modification of human microbiota to attenuate symptoms of certain bacterial diseases and metabolic, immune, or mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Małgorzata Łobocka
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Krystyna Dąbrowska
- Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Andrzej Górski
- Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Wrocław, Poland
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12
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Zelcbuch L, Yitzhaki E, Nissan O, Gidron E, Buchshtab N, Kario E, Kredo-Russo S, Zak NB, Bassan M. Luminescent Phage-Based Detection of Klebsiella pneumoniae: From Engineering to Diagnostics. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:347. [PMID: 33918942 PMCID: PMC8069110 DOI: 10.3390/ph14040347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages ("phages") infect and multiply within specific bacterial strains, causing lysis of their target. Due to the specific nature of these interactions, phages allow a high-precision approach for therapy which can also be exploited for the detection of phage-sensitive pathogens associated with chronic diseases due to gut microbiome imbalance. As rapid phage-mediated detection assays becoming standard-of-care diagnostic tools, they will advance the more widespread application of phage therapy in a precision approach. Using a conventional method and a new cloning approach to develop luminescent phages, we engineered two phages that specifically detect a disease-associated microbial strain. We performed phage sensitivity assays in liquid culture and in fecal matrices and tested the stability of spiked fecal samples stored under different conditions. Different reporter gene structures and genome insertion sites were required to successfully develop the two nluc-reporter phages. The reporter phages detected spiked bacteria in five fecal samples with high specificity. Fecal samples stored under different conditions for up to 30 days did not display major losses in reporter-phage-based detection. Luminescent phage-based diagnostics can provide a rapid co-diagnostic tool to guide the growing field of phage therapy, particularly for a precision-based approach to chronic diseases treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lior Zelcbuch
- Research Department, BiomX Ltd., Ness Ziona 7414002, Israel; (E.Y.); (O.N.); (E.G.); (N.B.); (E.K.); (S.K.-R.); (N.B.Z.); (M.B.)
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13
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Bessière B, Iris F, Milet A, Beopoulos A, Billoet C, Farjot G. A new mechanistic approach for the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain with nitrous oxide integrated from a systems biology narrative review. Med Gas Res 2021; 11:34-41. [PMID: 33642336 PMCID: PMC8103977 DOI: 10.4103/2045-9912.310058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The limitations of the currently available treatments for chronic neuropathic pain highlight the need for safer and more effective alternatives. The authors carried out a focused review using a systems biology approach to integrate the complex mechanisms of nociception and neuropathic pain, and to decipher the effects of nitrous oxide (N2O) on those pathways, beyond the known effect of N2O on N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors. This review identified a number of potential mechanisms by which N2O could impact the processes involved in peripheral and central sensitization. In the ascending pathway, the effects of N2O include activating TWIK-related K+ channel 1 potassium channels on first-order neurons, blocking voltage-dependent calcium channels to attenuate neuronal excitability, attenuating postsynaptic glutamatergic receptor activation, and possibly blocking voltage-dependent sodium channels. In the descending pathway, N2O induces the release of endogenous opioid ligands and stimulates norepinephrine release. In addition, N2O may mediate epigenetic changes by inhibiting methionine synthase, a key enzyme involved in DNA and RNA methylation. This could explain why this short-acting analgesic has shown long-lasting anti-pain sensitization effects in animal models of chronic pain. These new hypotheses support the rationale for investigating N2O, either alone or in combination with other analgesics, for the management of chronic neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baptiste Bessière
- Air Liquide Santé International, Paris Innovation Campus, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | | | - Aude Milet
- Air Liquide Santé International, Paris Innovation Campus, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | | | - Catherine Billoet
- Air Liquide Santé International, Paris Innovation Campus, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Géraldine Farjot
- Air Liquide Santé International, Paris Innovation Campus, Jouy-en-Josas, France
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14
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Lenneman BR, Fernbach J, Loessner MJ, Lu TK, Kilcher S. Enhancing phage therapy through synthetic biology and genome engineering. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2020; 68:151-159. [PMID: 33310655 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2020.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The antimicrobial and therapeutic efficacy of bacteriophages is currently limited, mostly due to rapid emergence of phage-resistance and the inability of most phage isolates to bind and infect a broad range of clinical strains. Here, we discuss how phage therapy can be improved through recent advances in genetic engineering. First, we outline how receptor-binding proteins and their relevant structural domains are engineered to redirect phage specificity and to avoid resistance. Next, we summarize how phages are reprogrammed as prokaryotic gene therapy vectors that deliver antimicrobial 'payload' proteins, such as sequence-specific nucleases, to target defined cells within complex microbiomes. Finally, we delineate big data- and novel artificial intelligence-driven approaches that may guide the design of improved synthetic phage in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan R Lenneman
- Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Synthetic Biology Center, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Jonas Fernbach
- Institute of Food, Nutrition, and Health, ETH Zürich, Schmelzbergstrasse 7, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Martin J Loessner
- Institute of Food, Nutrition, and Health, ETH Zürich, Schmelzbergstrasse 7, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Timothy K Lu
- Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Synthetic Biology Center, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Biological Engineering, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Samuel Kilcher
- Institute of Food, Nutrition, and Health, ETH Zürich, Schmelzbergstrasse 7, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland.
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15
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Sozhamannan S, Hofmann ER. The State of the Art in Biodefense Related Bacterial Pathogen Detection Using Bacteriophages: How It Started and How It's Going. Viruses 2020; 12:v12121393. [PMID: 33291831 PMCID: PMC7762055 DOI: 10.3390/v12121393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Accurate pathogen detection and diagnosis is paramount in clinical success of treating patients. There are two general paradigms in pathogen detection: molecular and immuno-based, and phage-based detection is a third emerging paradigm due to its sensitivity and selectivity. Molecular detection methods look for genetic material specific for a given pathogen in a sample usually by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Immuno-methods look at the pathogen components (antigens) by antibodies raised against that pathogen specific antigens. There are different variations and products based on these two paradigms with advantages and disadvantages. The third paradigm at least for bacterial pathogen detection entails bacteriophages specific for a given bacterium. Sensitivity and specificity are the two key parameters in any pathogen detection system. By their very nature, bacteriophages afford the best sensitivity for bacterial detection. Bacteria and bacteriophages form the predator-prey pair in the evolutionary arms race and has coevolved over time to acquire the exquisite specificity of the pair, in some instances at the strain level. This specificity has been exploited for diagnostic purposes of various pathogens of concern in clinical and other settings. Many recent reviews focus on phage-based detection and sensor technologies. In this review, we focus on a very special group of pathogens that are of concern in biodefense because of their potential misuse in bioterrorism and their extremely virulent nature and as such fall under the Centers for Disease and Prevention (CDC) Category A pathogen list. We describe the currently available phage methods that are based on the usual modalities of detection from culture, to molecular and immuno- and fluorescent methods. We further highlight the gaps and the needs for more modern technologies and sensors drawing from technologies existing for detection and surveillance of other pathogens of clinical relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanmuga Sozhamannan
- National Security Science & Technology, Management Advisory Services, Logistics Management Institute, 7940 Jones Branch Drive, Tysons, VA 22102, USA;
- Defense Biological Product Assurance Office (DBPAO), Joint Program Executive Office (JPEO) for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (CBRND) Joint Project Lead (JPL) CBRND Enabling Biotechnologies (EB), 110 Thomas Johnson Drive, Suite 250, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Edward R. Hofmann
- EXCET, Inc., 6225 Brandon Ave #360, Springfield, VA 22150, USA
- US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, Chemical Biological Center, 8908 Guard St, E3831, Edgewood, MD 21010, USA
- Correspondence:
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16
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Ramsey J, Rasche H, Maughmer C, Criscione A, Mijalis E, Liu M, Hu JC, Young R, Gill JJ. Galaxy and Apollo as a biologist-friendly interface for high-quality cooperative phage genome annotation. PLoS Comput Biol 2020; 16:e1008214. [PMID: 33137082 PMCID: PMC7660901 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
In the modern genomic era, scientists without extensive bioinformatic training need to apply high-power computational analyses to critical tasks like phage genome annotation. At the Center for Phage Technology (CPT), we developed a suite of phage-oriented tools housed in open, user-friendly web-based interfaces. A Galaxy platform conducts computationally intensive analyses and Apollo, a collaborative genome annotation editor, visualizes the results of these analyses. The collection includes open source applications such as the BLAST+ suite, InterProScan, and several gene callers, as well as unique tools developed at the CPT that allow maximum user flexibility. We describe in detail programs for finding Shine-Dalgarno sequences, resources used for confident identification of lysis genes such as spanins, and methods used for identifying interrupted genes that contain frameshifts or introns. At the CPT, genome annotation is separated into two robust segments that are facilitated through the automated execution of many tools chained together in an operation called a workflow. First, the structural annotation workflow results in gene and other feature calls. This is followed by a functional annotation workflow that combines sequence comparisons and conserved domain searching, which is contextualized to allow integrated evidence assessment in functional prediction. Finally, we describe a workflow used for comparative genomics. Using this multi-purpose platform enables researchers to easily and accurately annotate an entire phage genome. The portal can be accessed at https://cpt.tamu.edu/galaxy-pub with accompanying user training material.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jolene Ramsey
- Center for Phage Technology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Helena Rasche
- Center for Phage Technology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Cory Maughmer
- Center for Phage Technology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Anthony Criscione
- Center for Phage Technology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Eleni Mijalis
- Center for Phage Technology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Mei Liu
- Center for Phage Technology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - James C. Hu
- Center for Phage Technology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Ry Young
- Center for Phage Technology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Jason J. Gill
- Center for Phage Technology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
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17
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Yehl K, Lemire S, Yang AC, Ando H, Mimee M, Torres MDT, de la Fuente-Nunez C, Lu TK. Engineering Phage Host-Range and Suppressing Bacterial Resistance through Phage Tail Fiber Mutagenesis. Cell 2020; 179:459-469.e9. [PMID: 31585083 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 196] [Impact Index Per Article: 49.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2017] [Revised: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The rapid emergence of antibiotic-resistant infections is prompting increased interest in phage-based antimicrobials. However, acquisition of resistance by bacteria is a major issue in the successful development of phage therapies. Through natural evolution and structural modeling, we identified host-range-determining regions (HRDRs) in the T3 phage tail fiber protein and developed a high-throughput strategy to genetically engineer these regions through site-directed mutagenesis. Inspired by antibody specificity engineering, this approach generates deep functional diversity while minimizing disruptions to the overall tail fiber structure, resulting in synthetic "phagebodies." We showed that mutating HRDRs yields phagebodies with altered host-ranges, and select phagebodies enable long-term suppression of bacterial growth in vitro, by preventing resistance appearance, and are functional in vivo using a murine model. We anticipate that this approach may facilitate the creation of next-generation antimicrobials that slow resistance development and could be extended to other viral scaffolds for a broad range of applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Yehl
- Synthetic Biology Group, MIT Synthetic Biology Center, The Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Research Laboratory of Electronics, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Sébastien Lemire
- Synthetic Biology Group, MIT Synthetic Biology Center, The Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Research Laboratory of Electronics, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Andrew C Yang
- Synthetic Biology Group, MIT Synthetic Biology Center, The Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Hiroki Ando
- Synthetic Biology Group, MIT Synthetic Biology Center, The Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Research Laboratory of Electronics, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Mark Mimee
- Synthetic Biology Group, MIT Synthetic Biology Center, The Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Research Laboratory of Electronics, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Marcelo Der Torossian Torres
- Synthetic Biology Group, MIT Synthetic Biology Center, The Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Research Laboratory of Electronics, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Cesar de la Fuente-Nunez
- Synthetic Biology Group, MIT Synthetic Biology Center, The Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Research Laboratory of Electronics, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Timothy K Lu
- Synthetic Biology Group, MIT Synthetic Biology Center, The Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Research Laboratory of Electronics, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Biological Engineering, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02129, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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18
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Huss P, Raman S. Engineered bacteriophages as programmable biocontrol agents. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2019; 61:116-121. [PMID: 31862543 PMCID: PMC7103757 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2019.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2019] [Revised: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Engineered bacteriophages are promising tools for use in food biotechnology. Diverse natural bacteriophages can be leveraged by engineering for specificity and infectivity. Engineered bacteriophages are potent tools for pathogen biocontrol. Engineered bacteriophages can be used for targeted delivery vectors and pathogen detection.
Bacteriophages (or ‘phages’) can be potent biocontrol agents but their potential has not been fully realized due to inherent limitations of natural phages. By leveraging new tools in synthetic biology, natural phages can be engineered to overcome these limitations to markedly improve their efficacy and programmability. Engineered phages can be used for targeted detection and removal of pathogens, in situ microbiome editing, gene delivery and programmable control of phage-bacterial interactions. In this mini review we examine different ways natural phages can be engineered as effective biocontrol agents through a design-build-test-learn platform and identify novel applications of engineered phages in food biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phil Huss
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States; Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Srivatsan Raman
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States; Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States.
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19
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Caflisch KM, Suh GA, Patel R. Biological challenges of phage therapy and proposed solutions: a literature review. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 2019; 17:1011-1041. [PMID: 31735090 DOI: 10.1080/14787210.2019.1694905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: In light of the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, phage (bacteriophage) therapy has been recognized as a potential alternative or addition to antibiotics in Western medicine for use in humans.Areas covered: This review assessed the scientific literature on phage therapy published between 1 January 2007 and 21 October 2019, with a focus on the successes and challenges of this prospective therapeutic.Expert opinion: Efficacy has been shown in animal models and experimental findings suggest promise for the safety of human phagotherapy. Significant challenges remain to be addressed prior to the standardization of phage therapy in the West, including the development of phage-resistant bacteria; the pharmacokinetic complexities of phage; and any potential human immune response incited by phagotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine M Caflisch
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Gina A Suh
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Robin Patel
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.,Division of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
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20
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Promises and Pitfalls of In Vivo Evolution to Improve Phage Therapy. Viruses 2019; 11:v11121083. [PMID: 31766537 PMCID: PMC6950294 DOI: 10.3390/v11121083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2019] [Revised: 11/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Phage therapy is the use of bacterial viruses (phages) to treat bacterial infections, a medical intervention long abandoned in the West but now experiencing a revival. Currently, therapeutic phages are often chosen based on limited criteria, sometimes merely an ability to plate on the pathogenic bacterium. Better treatment might result from an informed choice of phages. Here we consider whether phages used to treat the bacterial infection in a patient may specifically evolve to improve treatment on that patient or benefit subsequent patients. With mathematical and computational models, we explore in vivo evolution for four phage properties expected to influence therapeutic success: generalized phage growth, phage decay rate, excreted enzymes to degrade protective bacterial layers, and growth on resistant bacteria. Within-host phage evolution is strongly aligned with treatment success for phage decay rate but only partially aligned for phage growth rate and growth on resistant bacteria. Excreted enzymes are mostly not selected for treatment success. Even when evolution and treatment success are aligned, evolution may not be rapid enough to keep pace with bacterial evolution for maximum benefit. An informed use of phages is invariably superior to naive reliance on within-host evolution.
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21
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Blasco L, Ambroa A, Lopez M, Fernandez-Garcia L, Bleriot I, Trastoy R, Ramos-Vivas J, Coenye T, Fernandez-Cuenca F, Vila J, Martinez-Martinez L, Rodriguez-Baño J, Pascual A, Cisneros JM, Pachon J, Bou G, Tomas M. Combined Use of the Ab105-2φΔCI Lytic Mutant Phage and Different Antibiotics in Clinical Isolates of Multi-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. Microorganisms 2019; 7:microorganisms7110556. [PMID: 31726694 PMCID: PMC6921023 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms7110556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Revised: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Phage therapy is an abandoned antimicrobial therapy that has been resumed in recent years. In this study, we mutated a lysogenic phage from Acinetobacter baumannii into a lytic phage (Ab105-2phiΔCI) that displayed antimicrobial activity against A. baumannii clinical strain Ab177_GEIH-2000 (isolated in the GEIH-REIPI Spanish Multicenter A. baumannii Study II 2000/2010, Umbrella Genbank Bioproject PRJNA422585, and for which meropenem and imipenem MICs of respectively, 32 µg/mL, and 16 µg/mL were obtained). We observed an in vitro synergistic antimicrobial effect (reduction of 4 log–7 log CFU/mL) between meropenem and the lytic phage in all combinations analyzed (Ab105-2phiΔCI mutant at 0.1, 1 and 10 MOI and meropenem at 1/4 and 1/8 MIC). Moreover, bacterial growth was reduced by 8 log CFU/mL for the combination of imipenem at 1/4 MIC plus lytic phage (Ab105-2phiΔCI mutant) and by 4 log CFU/mL for the combination of imipenem at 1/8 MIC plus lytic phage (Ab105-2phiΔCI mutant) at both MOI 1 and 10. These results were confirmed in an in vivo model (G. mellonella), and the combination of imipenem and mutant Ab105-2phiΔCI was most effective (p < 0.05). This approach could help to reduce the emergence of phage resistant bacteria and restore sensitivity to antibiotics used to combat multi-resistant strains of Acinetobacter baumannii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Blasco
- Microbiology Department-Research Institute Biomedical A Coruña (INIBIC), Hospital A Coruña (CHUAC), University of A Coruña (UDC), 15495 A Coruña, Spain; (L.B.); (A.A.); (M.L.); (L.F.-G.); (I.B.); (R.T.); (G.B.)
| | - Anton Ambroa
- Microbiology Department-Research Institute Biomedical A Coruña (INIBIC), Hospital A Coruña (CHUAC), University of A Coruña (UDC), 15495 A Coruña, Spain; (L.B.); (A.A.); (M.L.); (L.F.-G.); (I.B.); (R.T.); (G.B.)
| | - Maria Lopez
- Microbiology Department-Research Institute Biomedical A Coruña (INIBIC), Hospital A Coruña (CHUAC), University of A Coruña (UDC), 15495 A Coruña, Spain; (L.B.); (A.A.); (M.L.); (L.F.-G.); (I.B.); (R.T.); (G.B.)
| | - Laura Fernandez-Garcia
- Microbiology Department-Research Institute Biomedical A Coruña (INIBIC), Hospital A Coruña (CHUAC), University of A Coruña (UDC), 15495 A Coruña, Spain; (L.B.); (A.A.); (M.L.); (L.F.-G.); (I.B.); (R.T.); (G.B.)
| | - Ines Bleriot
- Microbiology Department-Research Institute Biomedical A Coruña (INIBIC), Hospital A Coruña (CHUAC), University of A Coruña (UDC), 15495 A Coruña, Spain; (L.B.); (A.A.); (M.L.); (L.F.-G.); (I.B.); (R.T.); (G.B.)
| | - Rocio Trastoy
- Microbiology Department-Research Institute Biomedical A Coruña (INIBIC), Hospital A Coruña (CHUAC), University of A Coruña (UDC), 15495 A Coruña, Spain; (L.B.); (A.A.); (M.L.); (L.F.-G.); (I.B.); (R.T.); (G.B.)
| | - Jose Ramos-Vivas
- Microbiology Department-Research Institute Biomedical Valdecilla (IDIVAL), Hospital Marques de Valdecilla, 39008 Santander, Spain;
| | - Tom Coenye
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Ghent University, 9000 Gent, Belgium;
| | - Felipe Fernandez-Cuenca
- Clinical Unit for Infectious Diseases, Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena/Department of Microbiology and Medicine, University of Seville/Biomedicine Institute of Seville (IBIS), 41009 Seville, Spain; (F.F.-C.); (J.R.-B.); (A.P.)
| | - Jordi Vila
- Institute of Global Health of Barcelona (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona, 170, 08036 Barcelona, Spain;
| | - Luis Martinez-Martinez
- Unit of Microbiology, University Hospital Reina Sofía, Department of Microbiology, University of Córdoba, Maimonides Biomedical Research Institute of Cordoba (IMIBIC), 14004 Cordoba, Spain;
| | - Jesus Rodriguez-Baño
- Clinical Unit for Infectious Diseases, Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena/Department of Microbiology and Medicine, University of Seville/Biomedicine Institute of Seville (IBIS), 41009 Seville, Spain; (F.F.-C.); (J.R.-B.); (A.P.)
| | - Alvaro Pascual
- Clinical Unit for Infectious Diseases, Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena/Department of Microbiology and Medicine, University of Seville/Biomedicine Institute of Seville (IBIS), 41009 Seville, Spain; (F.F.-C.); (J.R.-B.); (A.P.)
| | - Jose Miguel Cisneros
- Clinical Unit for Infectious Diseases, Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/Department of Microbiology and Medicine, University of Seville/Biomedicine Institute of Seville (IBIS), 41009 Seville, Spain; (J.M.C.); (J.P.)
| | - Jeronimo Pachon
- Clinical Unit for Infectious Diseases, Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/Department of Microbiology and Medicine, University of Seville/Biomedicine Institute of Seville (IBIS), 41009 Seville, Spain; (J.M.C.); (J.P.)
| | - German Bou
- Microbiology Department-Research Institute Biomedical A Coruña (INIBIC), Hospital A Coruña (CHUAC), University of A Coruña (UDC), 15495 A Coruña, Spain; (L.B.); (A.A.); (M.L.); (L.F.-G.); (I.B.); (R.T.); (G.B.)
| | - Maria Tomas
- Microbiology Department-Research Institute Biomedical A Coruña (INIBIC), Hospital A Coruña (CHUAC), University of A Coruña (UDC), 15495 A Coruña, Spain; (L.B.); (A.A.); (M.L.); (L.F.-G.); (I.B.); (R.T.); (G.B.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-981-176-399; Fax: +34-981-178-273
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Dunne M, Rupf B, Tala M, Qabrati X, Ernst P, Shen Y, Sumrall E, Heeb L, Plückthun A, Loessner MJ, Kilcher S. Reprogramming Bacteriophage Host Range through Structure-Guided Design of Chimeric Receptor Binding Proteins. Cell Rep 2019; 29:1336-1350.e4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.09.062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Revised: 08/07/2019] [Accepted: 09/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
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23
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Kryukov AI, Gurov AV, Izotova GN, Lapenko EG. [Bacteriophages therapy in otorhinolaryngology. History and contemporaneity]. Vestn Otorinolaringol 2019; 84:84-89. [PMID: 30938351 DOI: 10.17116/otorino20198401184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial infections of the upper respiratory tract in the structure of the incidence of the population ranked second. Recently in practice there are more and more cases of a protracted course of the disease, chronic inflammation, as well as various kinds of complications. The abuse and misuse of antibiotics has contributed to the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains. This problem is named one of the most pressing for public health in the world. In this regard, the topical issue is the search for alternative drugs foe treating infectious diseases. Bacteriophage preparations that have a 100-year history and have gone a long way in development have shown their effectiveness as an alternative to antibiotics, and as an additional therapy in the treatment of certain bacterial infections. This review includes data from various studies available in English, as well as the results of domestic reports published in Russian scientific literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- A I Kryukov
- L.I. Sverzhevsky Research Clinical Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Moscow Health Department, Moscow, Russia
| | - A V Gurov
- L.I. Sverzhevsky Research Clinical Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Moscow Health Department, Moscow, Russia
| | - G N Izotova
- L.I. Sverzhevsky Research Clinical Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Moscow Health Department, Moscow, Russia
| | - E G Lapenko
- L.I. Sverzhevsky Research Clinical Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Moscow Health Department, Moscow, Russia
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24
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Engineering Bacteriophages as Versatile Biologics. Trends Microbiol 2019; 27:355-367. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2018.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2018] [Revised: 09/04/2018] [Accepted: 09/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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25
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Engineering of receptor-binding proteins in bacteriophages and phage tail-like bacteriocins. Biochem Soc Trans 2019; 47:449-460. [PMID: 30783013 DOI: 10.1042/bst20180172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2018] [Revised: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Bacteriophages and phage tail-like bacteriocins (PTLBs) rely on receptor-binding proteins (RBPs) located in tail fibers or spikes for an initial and specific interaction with susceptible bacteria. Bacteriophages kill bacteria through a lytic, replicative cycle, whereas PTLBs kill the target through membrane depolarization in a single hit mechanism. Extensive efforts in the engineering of RBPs of both phages and PTLBs have been undertaken to obtain a greater understanding of the structural organization of RBPs. In addition, a major goal of engineering RBPs of phages and PTLBs is the production of antibacterials with a customized spectrum. Swapping of the RBP of phages and PTLBs results in a shift in activity spectrum in accordance with the spectrum of the new RBP. The engineering of strictly virulent phages with new RBPs required significant technical advances in the past decades, whereas the engineering of RBPs of PTLBs relied on the traditional molecular techniques used for the manipulation of bacteria and was thus relatively straightforward. While phages and PTLBs share their potential for specificity tuning, specific features of phages such as their lytic killing mechanism, their self-replicative nature and thus different pharmacokinetics and their potential to co-evolve are clear differentiators compared with PTLBs in terms of their antibacterial use.
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26
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Brownell D, King J, Caliando B, Sycheva L, Koeris M. Engineering Bacteriophage-Based Biosensors. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 1898:37-50. [PMID: 30570721 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-8940-9_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Bacteriophages have been used for diagnostic purposes in the past, but a lack of parallelizable engineering methods had limited their applicability to a narrow subset of diagnostic settings. More recently, however, advances in DNA sequencing and the introduction of more sensitive reporter systems have enabled novel engineering methods, which in turn have broadened the scope of modern phage diagnostics. Here we describe advanced methods to engineer the genomes of bacteriophages in a modular and rapid fashion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Brownell
- Sample 6 Technologies, 15300 Bothell Way NE Lake Forest Park, WA, 98155, Woburn, MA, USA
| | - John King
- Sample 6 Technologies, 15300 Bothell Way NE Lake Forest Park, WA, 98155, Woburn, MA, USA
| | - Brian Caliando
- Sample 6 Technologies, 15300 Bothell Way NE Lake Forest Park, WA, 98155, Woburn, MA, USA
| | - Lada Sycheva
- Sample 6 Technologies, 15300 Bothell Way NE Lake Forest Park, WA, 98155, Woburn, MA, USA
| | - Michael Koeris
- Sample 6 Technologies, 15300 Bothell Way NE Lake Forest Park, WA, 98155, Woburn, MA, USA.
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27
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Luo J, Jiang M, Xiong J, Li J, Zhang X, Wei H, Yu J. Exploring a phage-based real-time PCR assay for diagnosing Acinetobacter baumannii bloodstream infections with high sensitivity. Anal Chim Acta 2018; 1044:147-153. [PMID: 30442396 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2018.09.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2018] [Revised: 08/14/2018] [Accepted: 09/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
In the present study, we developed a phage-based real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) methodology for sensitive diagnosis of bloodstream infection (BSI) caused by Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii). An isolated A. baumannii phage p53 was used for Taqman qPCR through detecting phage replication in live A. baumannii cells in serum samples. At the phage concentration of 103 PFU/mL, the sensitive detection of A. baumannii (down to 10 CFU in 100 μL serum) has been obtained within 4 h in spiked serum samples without bacteria isolation and DNA extraction. Subsequent testing of 22 simulated serum samples spiked by different strains has shown that the results from the phage-based Taqman qPCR method have 100% agreement with the spiked concentrations of the bacteria. The assay built in this study, gathering all the advantages for detections of high rapidity, high sensitivity, good specificity, being able to detect only live bacteria not dead bacteria and no DNA extraction or purifications, can be developed to detecting other bacterial pathogens in serum or other complicated samples through switching to other types of phages and realize the rapid and sensitive detection of bacteria in BSI, which would potentially be applied for fast diagnosis in sepsis clinically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Luo
- CAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China; The First College of Clinical Medical Science, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, China; Yichang Central People's Hospital, China
| | - Mengwei Jiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, China
| | - Jin Xiong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, China
| | - Junhua Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, China
| | - Xiaoxu Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, China; The First College of Clinical Medical Science, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, China
| | - Hongping Wei
- CAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, China.
| | - Junping Yu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, China.
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28
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Iris F, Beopoulos A, Gea M. How scientific literature analysis yields innovative therapeutic hypothesis through integrative iterations. Curr Opin Pharmacol 2018; 42:62-70. [PMID: 30092386 DOI: 10.1016/j.coph.2018.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Accepted: 07/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
It is becoming generally accepted that the current diagnostic system often guarantees, rather than diminishes, disease heterogeneity. In effects, syndrome-dominated conceptual thinking has become a barrier to understanding the biological causes of complex, multifactorial diseases characterized by clinical and therapeutic heterogeneity. Furthermore, not only is the flood of currently available medical and biological information highly heterogeneous, it is also often conflicting. Together with the entire absence of functional models of pathogenesis and pathological evolution of complex diseases, this leads to a situation where illness activity cannot be coherently approached and where therapeutic developments become highly problematic. Acquisition of the necessary knowledge can be obtained, in parts, using in silico models produced through analytical approaches and processes collectively known as `Systems Biology'. However, without analytical approaches that specifically incorporate the facts that all that is called `information' is not necessarily useful nor utilisable and that all information should be considered as a priori suspect, modelling attempts will fail because of the much too numerous conflicting and, although correct in molecular terms, physiologically invalid reports. In the present essay, we suggest means whereby this body of problems could be functionally attacked and describe new analytical approaches that have demonstrated their efficacy in alleviating these difficulties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francois Iris
- Bio-Modeling Systems, Tour CIT, 3 Rue de l'Arrivée, 75015, Paris, France.
| | | | - Manuel Gea
- Bio-Modeling Systems, Tour CIT, 3 Rue de l'Arrivée, 75015, Paris, France
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29
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Abstract
Bacteriophage research has been instrumental to advancing many fields of biology, such as genetics, molecular biology, and synthetic biology. Many phage-derived technologies have been adapted for building gene circuits to program biological systems. Phages also exhibit significant medical potential as antibacterial agents and bacterial diagnostics due to their extreme specificity for their host, and our growing ability to engineer them further enhances this potential. Phages have also been used as scaffolds for genetically programmable biomaterials that have highly tunable properties. Furthermore, phages are central to powerful directed evolution platforms, which are being leveraged to enhance existing biological functions and even produce new ones. In this review, we discuss recent examples of how phage research is influencing these next-generation biotechnologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastien Lemire
- Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA;
| | - Kevin M Yehl
- Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA;
| | - Timothy K Lu
- Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA; .,Synthetic Biology Group, Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
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30
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Sybesma W, Rohde C, Bardy P, Pirnay JP, Cooper I, Caplin J, Chanishvili N, Coffey A, De Vos D, Scholz AH, McCallin S, Püschner HM, Pantucek R, Aminov R, Doškař J, Kurtbӧke Dİ. Silk Route to the Acceptance and Re-Implementation of Bacteriophage Therapy-Part II. Antibiotics (Basel) 2018; 7:E35. [PMID: 29690620 PMCID: PMC6023077 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics7020035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2018] [Revised: 04/12/2018] [Accepted: 04/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
This perspective paper follows up on earlier communications on bacteriophage therapy that we wrote as a multidisciplinary and intercontinental expert-panel when we first met at a bacteriophage conference hosted by the Eliava Institute in Tbilisi, Georgia in 2015. In the context of a society that is confronted with an ever-increasing number of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, we build on the previously made recommendations and specifically address how the Nagoya Protocol might impact the further development of bacteriophage therapy. By reviewing a number of recently conducted case studies with bacteriophages involving patients with bacterial infections that could no longer be successfully treated by regular antibiotic therapy, we again stress the urgency and significance of the development of international guidelines and frameworks that might facilitate the legal and effective application of bacteriophage therapy by physicians and the receiving patients. Additionally, we list and comment on several recently started and ongoing clinical studies, including highly desired double-blind placebo-controlled randomized clinical trials. We conclude with an outlook on how recently developed DNA editing technologies are expected to further control and enhance the efficient application of bacteriophages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wilbert Sybesma
- Department of Neuro-Urology, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zürich, CH-8008 Zürich, Switzerland.
- Nestlé Research Center, Nestec Ltd., Vers-chez-les-Blanc, CH-1000 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Christine Rohde
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, D-38124 Braunschweig, Germany.
| | - Pavol Bardy
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno 611 37, Czech Republic.
| | - Jean-Paul Pirnay
- Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Technology, Queen Astrid Military Hospital, B-1120 Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Ian Cooper
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences and School of Environment & Technology, University of Brighton, Brighton BN2 4GJ, UK.
| | - Jonathan Caplin
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences and School of Environment & Technology, University of Brighton, Brighton BN2 4GJ, UK.
| | - Nina Chanishvili
- Eliava Institute of Bacteriophage, Microbiology and Virology, Tbilisi 0160, Georgia.
| | - Aidan Coffey
- Department of Biological Sciences, Cork Institute of Technology, Bishopstown, Cork T12 P928, UK.
| | - Daniel De Vos
- Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Technology, Queen Astrid Military Hospital, B-1120 Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Amber Hartman Scholz
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, D-38124 Braunschweig, Germany.
| | - Shawna McCallin
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Hilke Marie Püschner
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, D-38124 Braunschweig, Germany.
| | - Roman Pantucek
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno 611 37, Czech Republic.
| | - Rustam Aminov
- School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK.
| | - Jiří Doškař
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno 611 37, Czech Republic.
| | - D İpek Kurtbӧke
- GeneCology Research Centre and the Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, QLD 4558, Australia.
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31
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Brown R, Lengeling A, Wang B. Phage engineering: how advances in molecular biology and synthetic biology are being utilized to enhance the therapeutic potential of bacteriophages. QUANTITATIVE BIOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s40484-017-0094-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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32
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Bárdy P, Pantůček R, Benešík M, Doškař J. Genetically modified bacteriophages in applied microbiology. J Appl Microbiol 2016; 121:618-33. [PMID: 27321680 DOI: 10.1111/jam.13207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2016] [Revised: 06/07/2016] [Accepted: 06/16/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Bacteriophages represent a simple viral model of basic research with many possibilities for practical application. Due to their ability to infect and kill bacteria, their potential in the treatment of bacterial infection has been examined since their discovery. With advances in molecular biology and gene engineering, the phage application spectrum has been expanded to various medical and biotechnological fields. The construction of bacteriophages with an extended host range or longer viability in the mammalian bloodstream enhances their potential as an alternative to conventional antibiotic treatment. Insertion of active depolymerase genes to their genomes can enforce the biofilm disposal. They can also be engineered to transfer various compounds to the eukaryotic organisms and the bacterial culture, applicable for the vaccine, drug or gene delivery. Phage recombinant lytic enzymes can be applied as enzybiotics in medicine as well as in biotechnology for pathogen detection or programmed cell death in bacterial expression strains. Besides, modified bacteriophages with high specificity can be applied as bioprobes in detection tools to estimate the presence of pathogens in food industry, or utilized in the control of food-borne pathogens as part of the constructed phage-based biosorbents.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Bárdy
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - R Pantůček
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - M Benešík
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - J Doškař
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
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33
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Rios AC, Moutinho CG, Pinto FC, Del Fiol FS, Jozala A, Chaud MV, Vila MMDC, Teixeira JA, Balcão VM. Alternatives to overcoming bacterial resistances: State-of-the-art. Microbiol Res 2016; 191:51-80. [PMID: 27524653 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2016.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 156] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2015] [Revised: 03/28/2016] [Accepted: 04/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Worldwide, bacterial resistance to chemical antibiotics has reached such a high level that endangers public health. Presently, the adoption of alternative strategies that promote the elimination of resistant microbial strains from the environment is of utmost importance. This review discusses and analyses several (potential) alternative strategies to current chemical antibiotics. Bacteriophage (or phage) therapy, although not new, makes use of strictly lytic phage particles as an alternative, or a complement, in the antimicrobial treatment of bacterial infections. It is being rediscovered as a safe method, because these biological entities devoid of any metabolic machinery do not possess any affinity whatsoever to eukaryotic cells. Lysin therapy is also recognized as an innovative antimicrobial therapeutic option, since the topical administration of preparations containing purified recombinant lysins with amounts in the order of nanograms, in infections caused by Gram-positive bacteria, demonstrated a high therapeutic potential by causing immediate lysis of the target bacterial cells. Additionally, this therapy exhibits the potential to act synergistically when combined with certain chemical antibiotics already available on the market. Another potential alternative antimicrobial therapy is based on the use of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), amphiphilic polypeptides that cause disruption of the bacterial membrane and can be used in the treatment of bacterial, fungal and viral infections, in the prevention of biofilm formation, and as antitumoral agents. Interestingly, bacteriocins are a common strategy of bacterial defense against other bacterial agents, eliminating the potential opponents of the former and increasing the number of available nutrients in the environment for their own growth. They can be applied in the food industry as biopreservatives and as probiotics, and also in fighting multi-resistant bacterial strains. The use of antibacterial antibodies promises to be extremely safe and effective. Additionally, vaccination emerges as one of the most promising preventive strategies. All these will be tackled in detail in this review paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra C Rios
- LaBNUS-Biomaterials and Nanotechnology Laboratory, i(bs)2i(bs)(2)-intelligent biosensing and biomolecule stabilization research group, University of Sorocaba, Sorocaba/SP, Brazil
| | - Carla G Moutinho
- CEB-Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; University Fernando Pessoa, Porto, Portugal
| | | | - Fernando S Del Fiol
- LaBNUS-Biomaterials and Nanotechnology Laboratory, i(bs)2i(bs)(2)-intelligent biosensing and biomolecule stabilization research group, University of Sorocaba, Sorocaba/SP, Brazil
| | - Angela Jozala
- LaBNUS-Biomaterials and Nanotechnology Laboratory, i(bs)2i(bs)(2)-intelligent biosensing and biomolecule stabilization research group, University of Sorocaba, Sorocaba/SP, Brazil
| | - Marco V Chaud
- LaBNUS-Biomaterials and Nanotechnology Laboratory, i(bs)2i(bs)(2)-intelligent biosensing and biomolecule stabilization research group, University of Sorocaba, Sorocaba/SP, Brazil
| | - Marta M D C Vila
- LaBNUS-Biomaterials and Nanotechnology Laboratory, i(bs)2i(bs)(2)-intelligent biosensing and biomolecule stabilization research group, University of Sorocaba, Sorocaba/SP, Brazil
| | - José A Teixeira
- CEB-Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Victor M Balcão
- LaBNUS-Biomaterials and Nanotechnology Laboratory, i(bs)2i(bs)(2)-intelligent biosensing and biomolecule stabilization research group, University of Sorocaba, Sorocaba/SP, Brazil; CEB-Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.
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34
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Sagona AP, Grigonyte AM, MacDonald PR, Jaramillo A. Genetically modified bacteriophages. Integr Biol (Camb) 2016; 8:465-74. [DOI: 10.1039/c5ib00267b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Applications of genetically modified bacteriophages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia P. Sagona
- Warwick Integrative Synthetic Biology Centre and School of Life Sciences
- University of Warwick
- Coventry
- UK
| | - Aurelija M. Grigonyte
- Warwick Integrative Synthetic Biology Centre and School of Life Sciences
- University of Warwick
- Coventry
- UK
- Synthetic Biology Centre for Doctoral Training
| | - Paul R. MacDonald
- Warwick Integrative Synthetic Biology Centre and School of Life Sciences
- University of Warwick
- Coventry
- UK
- MOAC DTC
| | - Alfonso Jaramillo
- Warwick Integrative Synthetic Biology Centre and School of Life Sciences
- University of Warwick
- Coventry
- UK
- iSSB
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35
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Ando H, Lemire S, Pires DP, Lu TK. Engineering Modular Viral Scaffolds for Targeted Bacterial Population Editing. Cell Syst 2015; 1:187-196. [PMID: 26973885 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2015.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 249] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Bacteria are central to human health and disease, but existing tools to edit microbial consortia are limited. For example, broad-spectrum antibiotics are unable to accurately manipulate bacterial communities. Bacteriophages can provide highly specific targeting of bacteria, but assembling well-defined phage cocktails solely with natural phages can be a time-, labor- and cost-intensive process. Here, we present a synthetic-biology strategy to modulate phage host ranges by engineering phage genomes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We used this technology to redirect Escherichia coli phage scaffolds to target pathogenic Yersinia and Klebsiella bacteria, and conversely, Klebsiella phage scaffolds to target E. coli by modular swapping of phage tail components. The synthetic phages achieved efficient killing of their new target bacteria and were used to selectively remove bacteria from multi-species bacterial communities with cocktails based on common viral scaffolds. We envision that this approach will accelerate phage-biology studies and enable new technologies for bacterial population editing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Ando
- Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science and Department of Biological Engineering, Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Sebastien Lemire
- Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science and Department of Biological Engineering, Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Diana P Pires
- Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science and Department of Biological Engineering, Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar 4710-057, Braga, Portugal
| | - Timothy K Lu
- Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science and Department of Biological Engineering, Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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36
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Harper DR, Parracho HMRT, Walker J, Sharp R, Hughes G, Werthén M, Lehman S, Morales S. Bacteriophages and Biofilms. Antibiotics (Basel) 2014. [PMCID: PMC4790368 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics3030270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 164] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Biofilms are an extremely common adaptation, allowing bacteria to colonize hostile environments. They present unique problems for antibiotics and biocides, both due to the nature of the extracellular matrix and to the presence within the biofilm of metabolically inactive persister cells. Such chemicals can be highly effective against planktonic bacterial cells, while being essentially ineffective against biofilms. By contrast, bacteriophages seem to have a greater ability to target this common form of bacterial growth. The high numbers of bacteria present within biofilms actually facilitate the action of bacteriophages by allowing rapid and efficient infection of the host and consequent amplification of the bacteriophage. Bacteriophages also have a number of properties that make biofilms susceptible to their action. They are known to produce (or to be able to induce) enzymes that degrade the extracellular matrix. They are also able to infect persister cells, remaining dormant within them, but re-activating when they become metabolically active. Some cultured biofilms also seem better able to support the replication of bacteriophages than comparable planktonic systems. It is perhaps unsurprising that bacteriophages, as the natural predators of bacteria, have the ability to target this common form of bacterial life.
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Affiliation(s)
- David R. Harper
- AmpliPhi Biosciences, Glen Allen, VA 23060, USA; E-Mails: (H.M.R.T.P.); (S.L.); (S.M.)
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: ; Tel.: +1-0845-680-0971; Fax: +1-0845-680-0972
| | | | - James Walker
- Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JG, UK; E-Mails: (J.W.); (R.S.)
| | - Richard Sharp
- Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JG, UK; E-Mails: (J.W.); (R.S.)
| | - Gavin Hughes
- Gavin Hughes—The Surgical Materials Testing Laboratory, Bridgend, South Wales CF31 1RQ, UK; E-Mail:
| | - Maria Werthén
- Maria Werthén, Mölnlycke Health Care AB, SE-402 52 Gothenburg, Sweden; E-Mail:
- Department of Biomaterial Science, University of Gothenburg, SE-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Susan Lehman
- AmpliPhi Biosciences, Glen Allen, VA 23060, USA; E-Mails: (H.M.R.T.P.); (S.L.); (S.M.)
| | - Sandra Morales
- AmpliPhi Biosciences, Glen Allen, VA 23060, USA; E-Mails: (H.M.R.T.P.); (S.L.); (S.M.)
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Viertel TM, Ritter K, Horz HP. Viruses versus bacteria-novel approaches to phage therapy as a tool against multidrug-resistant pathogens. J Antimicrob Chemother 2014; 69:2326-36. [PMID: 24872344 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dku173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophage therapy (the application of phages to treat bacterial infections) has a tradition dating back almost a century, but interest in phage therapy slowed down in the West when antibiotics were discovered. With the emerging threat of infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria and scarce prospects of newly introduced antibiotics in the future, phages are currently being reconsidered as alternative therapeutics. Conventional phage therapy uses lytic bacteriophages for treatment and recent human clinical trials have revealed encouraging results. In addition, several other modern approaches to phages as therapeutics have been made in vitro and in animal models. Dual therapy with phages and antibiotics has resulted in significant reductions in the number of bacterial pathogens. Bioengineered phages have overcome many of the problems of conventional phage therapy, enabled targeted drug delivery or reversed the resistance of drug-resistant bacteria. The use of enzymes derived from phages, such as endolysin, as therapeutic agents has been efficient in the elimination of Gram-positive pathogens. This review presents novel strategies for phage-related therapies and describes our current knowledge of natural bacteriophages within the human microbiome. Our aim is to provide an overview of the high number of different methodological concepts, thereby encouraging further research on this topic, with the ultimate goal of using phages as therapeutic or preventative medicines in daily clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania Mareike Viertel
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Microbiology, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Pauwelsstrasse 30, D-52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Klaus Ritter
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Microbiology, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Pauwelsstrasse 30, D-52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Hans-Peter Horz
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Microbiology, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Pauwelsstrasse 30, D-52074 Aachen, Germany
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Abedon ST. Phage therapy: eco-physiological pharmacology. SCIENTIFICA 2014; 2014:581639. [PMID: 25031881 PMCID: PMC4054669 DOI: 10.1155/2014/581639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2013] [Accepted: 02/10/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial virus use as antibacterial agents, in the guise of what is commonly known as phage therapy, is an inherently physiological, ecological, and also pharmacological process. Physiologically we can consider metabolic properties of phage infections of bacteria and variation in those properties as a function of preexisting bacterial states. In addition, there are patient responses to pathogenesis, patient responses to phage infections of pathogens, and also patient responses to phage virions alone. Ecologically, we can consider phage propagation, densities, distribution (within bodies), impact on body-associated microbiota (as ecological communities), and modification of the functioning of body "ecosystems" more generally. These ecological and physiological components in many ways represent different perspectives on otherwise equivalent phenomena. Comparable to drugs, one also can view phages during phage therapy in pharmacological terms. The relatively unique status of phages within the context of phage therapy as essentially replicating antimicrobials can therefore result in a confluence of perspectives, many of which can be useful towards gaining a better mechanistic appreciation of phage therapy, as I consider here. Pharmacology more generally may be viewed as a discipline that lies at an interface between organism-associated phenomena, as considered by physiology, and environmental interactions as considered by ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen T. Abedon
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Mansfield, OH 44906, USA
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Burrowes B, Harper DR, Anderson J, McConville M, Enright MC. Bacteriophage therapy: potential uses in the control of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 2014; 9:775-85. [DOI: 10.1586/eri.11.90] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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Chan BK, Abedon ST, Loc-Carrillo C. Phage cocktails and the future of phage therapy. Future Microbiol 2013; 8:769-83. [PMID: 23701332 DOI: 10.2217/fmb.13.47] [Citation(s) in RCA: 528] [Impact Index Per Article: 48.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Viruses of bacteria, known as bacteriophages or phages, were discovered nearly 100 years ago. Their potential as antibacterial agents was appreciated almost immediately, with the first 'phage therapy' trials predating Fleming's discovery of penicillin by approximately a decade. In this review, we consider phage therapy that can be used for treating bacterial infections in humans, domestic animals and even biocontrol in foods. Following an overview of the topic, we explore the common practice - both experimental and, in certain regions of the world, clinical - of mixing therapeutic phages into cocktails consisting of multiple virus types. We conclude with a discussion of the commercial and medical context of phage cocktails as therapeutic agents. In comparing off-the-shelf versus custom approaches, we consider the merits of a middle ground, which we deem 'modifiable'. Finally, we explore a regulatory framework for such an approach based on an influenza vaccine model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin K Chan
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
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Hoe S, Semler DD, Goudie AD, Lynch KH, Matinkhoo S, Finlay WH, Dennis JJ, Vehring R. Respirable Bacteriophages for the Treatment of Bacterial Lung Infections. J Aerosol Med Pulm Drug Deliv 2013; 26:317-35. [DOI: 10.1089/jamp.2012.1001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Susan Hoe
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2G8, Canada
| | - Diana D. Semler
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Amanda D. Goudie
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Karlene H. Lynch
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Sadaf Matinkhoo
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2G8, Canada
| | - Warren H. Finlay
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2G8, Canada
| | - Jonathan J. Dennis
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Reinhard Vehring
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2G8, Canada
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A mutation in the gene for polynucleotide kinase of bacteriophage T4 K10 affects mRNA processing. Arch Virol 2013; 159:327-31. [DOI: 10.1007/s00705-013-1800-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2013] [Accepted: 06/19/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Betts A, Vasse M, Kaltz O, Hochberg ME. Back to the future: evolving bacteriophages to increase their effectiveness against the pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1. Evol Appl 2013; 6:1054-63. [PMID: 24187587 PMCID: PMC3804238 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2012] [Accepted: 05/30/2013] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance is becoming increasingly problematic for the treatment of infectious disease in both humans and livestock. The bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa is often found to be resistant to multiple antibiotics and causes high patient mortality in hospitals. Bacteriophages represent a potential option to combat pathogenic bacteria through their application in phage therapy. Here, we capitalize on previous studies showing how evolution may increase phage infection capacity relative to ancestral genotypes. We passaged four different phage isolates (podoviridae, myoviridae) through six serial transfers on the ancestral strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1. We first demonstrate that repeated serial passage on ancestral bacteria increases infection capacity of bacteriophage on ancestral hosts and on those evolved for one transfer. This result is confirmed when examining the ability of evolved phage to reduce ancestral host population sizes. Second, through interaction with a single bacteriophage for 24 h, P. aeruginosa can evolve resistance to the ancestor of that bacteriophage; this also provides these evolved bacteria with cross-resistance to the other three bacteriophages. We discuss how the evolutionary training of phages could be employed as effective means of combatting bacterial infections or disinfecting surfaces in hospital settings, with reduced risk of bacterial resistance compared with conventional methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Betts
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, UMR 5554, Université Montpellier 2 Montpellier CEDEX 05, France
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Lynch KH, Dennis JJ. Cangene Gold Medal Award Lecture — Genomic analysis and modification ofBurkholderia cepaciacomplex bacteriophages1This article is based on a presentation by Dr. Karlene Lynch at the 61st Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society of Microbiologists in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, on 21 June 2011. Dr. Lynch was the recipient of the 2011 Cangene Gold Medal as the Canadian Graduate Student Microbiologist of the Year, an annual award sponsored by Cangene Corporation intended to recognize excellence in graduate research. Can J Microbiol 2012; 58:221-35. [DOI: 10.1139/w11-135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) is a group of 17 Gram-negative predominantly environmental bacterial species that cause potentially fatal opportunistic infections in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Although its prevalence in these individuals is lower than that of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa , the Bcc remains a serious problem in the CF community because of the pathogenicity, transmissibility, and inherent antibiotic resistance of these organisms. An alternative treatment for Bcc infections that is currently being developed is phage therapy, the clinical use of viruses that infect bacteria. To assess the suitability of individual phage isolates for therapeutic use, the complete genome sequences of a panel of Bcc‐specific phages were determined and analyzed. These sequences encode a broad range of proteins with a gradient of relatedness to phage and bacterial gene products from Burkholderia and other genera. The majority of these phages were found not to encode virulence factors, and despite their predominantly temperate nature, a proof-of-principle experiment has shown that they may be modified to a lytic form. Both the genomic characterization and subsequent engineering of Bcc‐specific phages are fundamental to the development of an effective phage therapy strategy for these bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karlene H. Lynch
- 6-008 Centennial Centre for Interdisciplinary Science, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Jonathan J. Dennis
- 6-008 Centennial Centre for Interdisciplinary Science, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada
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Abstract
Phage therapy is the clinical or veterinary application of bacterial viruses (bacteriophages) as antibacterial "drugs." More generally, phages can be used as biocontrol agents against plant as well as foodborne pathogens. In this chapter, we consider the therapeutic use of phage cocktails, which is the combining of two or more phage types to produce more pharmacologically diverse formulations. The primary motivation for the use of cocktails is their broader spectra of activity in comparison to individual phage isolates: they can impact either more bacterial types or achieve effectiveness under a greater diversity of conditions. The combining of phages can also facilitate better targeting of multiple strains making up individual bacterial species or covering multiple species that might be responsible for similar disease states, in general providing, relative to individual phage isolates, a greater potential for presumptive or empirical treatment. Contrasting the use of phage banks, or even phage isolation against specific etiologies that have been obtained directly from patients under treatment, here we consider the utility as well as potential shortcomings associated with the use of phage cocktails as therapeutic antibacterial agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin K Chan
- Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
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Bacteriophages as twenty-first century antibacterial tools for food and medicine. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2011; 90:851-9. [PMID: 21491205 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-011-3227-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2010] [Revised: 02/25/2011] [Accepted: 02/27/2011] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are an increasing source of concern in all environments in which these drugs have been used. More stringent regulations have led to a slow but sure decrease in antibiotic use in the food industry worldwide, but have also stimulated the search for alternative antibacterial agents. In medicine, the number of people infected with pan-resistant bacteria is driving research to develop new treatments. Within these contexts, studies on the use of bacteriophages in both medicine and the food industry have recently flourished. This renewed interest has coincided with the demonstration that these viruses are involved in geochemical cycles, revolutionizing our vision of their ecological role on our planet. Bacteriophages have co-evolved with bacteria for billions of years and retain the ability to infect bacteria efficiently. They are undoubtedly one of the best potential sources of new solutions for the management of undesirable bacteria.
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