1
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Sharifi F, Montaseri M, Yousefi MH, Shekarforoush SS, Berizi E, Wagemans J, Vallino M, Hosseinzadeh S. Isolation and characterization of two Staphylococcus aureus lytic bacteriophages "Huma" and "Simurgh". Virology 2024; 595:110090. [PMID: 38718447 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2024.110090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Nowadays finding the new antimicrobials is necessary due to the emerging of multidrug resistant strains. The present study aimed to isolate and characterize bacteriophages against S. aureus. Strains Huma and Simurgh were the two podovirus morphology phages which isolated and then characterized. Huma and Simurgh had a genome size of 16,853 and 17,245 bp, respectively and both were Rosenblumvirus with G + C content of 29%. No lysogeny-related genes, nor virulence genes were identified in their genomes. They were lytic only against two out of four S. aureus strains. They also were able to inhibit S. aureus for 8 h in-vitro. Both showed a rapid adsorption. Huma and Simurgh had the latent period of 80 and 60 m and the burst sizes of 45 and 40 PFU/ml and also, they showed very low cell toxicity of 1.23%-1.79% on HT-29 cells, respectively. Thus, they can be considered potential candidates for biocontrol applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Sharifi
- Department of Food Hygiene and Public Health, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Maryam Montaseri
- Department of Food Hygiene and Public Health, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hashem Yousefi
- Department of Food Hygiene and Public Health, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Seyed Shahram Shekarforoush
- Department of Food Hygiene and Public Health, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Enayat Berizi
- Department of Food Hygiene and Quality Control, School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | | | - Marta Vallino
- Institute of Sustainable Plant Protection, National Research Council of Italy, 10135, Turin, Italy
| | - Saeid Hosseinzadeh
- Department of Food Hygiene and Public Health, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.
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2
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Murray TS, Stanley G, Koff JL. Novel Approaches to Multidrug-Resistant Infections in Cystic Fibrosis. Infect Dis Clin North Am 2024; 38:149-162. [PMID: 38280761 DOI: 10.1016/j.idc.2023.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2024]
Abstract
Patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) often develop respiratory tract infections with pathogenic multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and a variety of gram-negative organisms that include Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Burkholderia sp., Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Achromobacter xylosoxidans, and nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). Despite the introduction of new therapies to address underlying cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) dysfunction, MDRO infections remain a problem and novel antimicrobial interventions are still needed. Therapeutic approaches include improving the efficacy of existing drugs by adjusting the dose based on differences in CF patient pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics, the development of inhaled formulations to reduce systemic adverse events, and the use of newer beta-lactam/beta-lactamase combinations. Alternative innovative therapeutic approaches include the use of gallium and bacteriophages to treat MDRO pulmonary infections including those with extreme antibiotic resistance. However, additional clinical trials are required to determine the optimal dosing and efficacy of these different strategies and to identify patients with CF most likely to benefit from these new treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas S Murray
- Department of Pediatrics, Section Infectious Diseases and Global Health, Yale University School of Medicine, PO Box 208064, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06520-8064, USA.
| | - Gail Stanley
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, PO Box 208057, 300 Cedar Street TAC-441 South, New Haven, CT 06520-8057, USA; Adult Cystic Fibrosis Program; Yale University Center for Phage Biology & Therapy.
| | - Jonathan L Koff
- Adult Cystic Fibrosis Program; Yale University Center for Phage Biology & Therapy; Department of Internal Medicine, Section Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, PO Box 208057, 300 Cedar Street TAC-455A South, New Haven, CT 06520-8057, USA.
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3
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Osman AH, Kotey FCN, Odoom A, Darkwah S, Yeboah RK, Dayie NTKD, Donkor ES. The Potential of Bacteriophage-Antibiotic Combination Therapy in Treating Infections with Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:1329. [PMID: 37627749 PMCID: PMC10451467 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12081329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The growing threat of antibiotic resistance is a significant global health challenge that has intensified in recent years. The burden of antibiotic resistance on public health is augmented due to its multifaceted nature, as well as the slow-paced and limited development of new antibiotics. The threat posed by resistance is now existential in phage therapy, which had long been touted as a promising replacement for antibiotics. Consequently, it is imperative to explore the potential of combination therapies involving antibiotics and phages as a feasible alternative for treating infections with multidrug-resistant bacteria. Although either bacteriophage or antibiotics can potentially treat bacterial infections, they are each fraught with resistance. Combination therapies, however, yielded positive outcomes in most cases; nonetheless, a few combinations did not show any benefit. Combination therapies comprising the synergistic activity of phages and antibiotics and combinations of phages with other treatments such as probiotics hold promise in the treatment of drug-resistant bacterial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Eric S. Donkor
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, Korle Bu, Accra P.O. Box KB 4236, Ghana; (A.-H.O.); (F.C.N.K.); (A.O.); (S.D.); (R.K.Y.); (N.T.K.D.D.)
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4
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Petrovic Fabijan A, Iredell J, Danis-Wlodarczyk K, Kebriaei R, Abedon ST. Translating phage therapy into the clinic: Recent accomplishments but continuing challenges. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002119. [PMID: 37220114 PMCID: PMC10204993 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Phage therapy is a medical form of biological control of bacterial infections, one that uses naturally occurring viruses, called bacteriophages or phages, as antibacterial agents. Pioneered over 100 years ago, phage therapy nonetheless is currently experiencing a resurgence in interest, with growing numbers of clinical case studies being published. This renewed enthusiasm is due in large part to phage therapy holding promise for providing safe and effective cures for bacterial infections that traditional antibiotics acting alone have been unable to clear. This Essay introduces basic phage biology, provides an outline of the long history of phage therapy, highlights some advantages of using phages as antibacterial agents, and provides an overview of recent phage therapy clinical successes. Although phage therapy has clear clinical potential, it faces biological, regulatory, and economic challenges to its further implementation and more mainstream acceptance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Petrovic Fabijan
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
- Faculty of Health and Medicine, School of Medicine, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jonathan Iredell
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
- Faculty of Health and Medicine, School of Medicine, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Westmead Hospital, Western Sydney Local Health District, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Katarzyna Danis-Wlodarczyk
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Razieh Kebriaei
- P3 Research Laboratory, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Stephen T. Abedon
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Mansfield, Ohio, United States of America
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5
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Mehmood Khan F, Manohar P, Singh Gondil V, Mehra N, Kayode Oyejobi G, Odiwuor N, Ahmad T, Huang G. The applications of animal models in phage therapy: An update. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2023; 19:2175519. [PMID: 36935353 PMCID: PMC10072079 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2023.2175519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The rapid increase in antibiotic resistance presents a dire situation necessitating the need for alternative therapeutic agents. Among the current alternative therapies, phage therapy (PT) is promising. This review extensively summarizes preclinical PT approaches in various in-vivo models. PT has been evaluated in several recent clinical trials. However, there are still several unanswered concerns due to a lack of appropriate regulation and pharmacokinetic data regarding the application of phages in human therapeutic procedures. In this review, we also presented the current state of PT and considered how animal models can be used to adapt these therapies for humans. The development of realistic solutions to circumvent these constraints is critical for advancing this technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fazal Mehmood Khan
- College of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.,Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.,Institute for Innovative Development of Food Industry, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.,Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Prasanth Manohar
- School of Biosciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, India
| | - Vijay Singh Gondil
- Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Nancy Mehra
- Department of Pediatrics, Advanced Pediatrics Centre, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Greater Kayode Oyejobi
- Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China.,Department of Microbiology, Osun State University, Osogbo, Nigeria.,School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Nelson Odiwuor
- Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China.,International College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Microbiology, Sino-Africa Joint Research Centre, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Tauseef Ahmad
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Guangtao Huang
- Department of Burn and Plastic Surgery, Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.,Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China.,Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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6
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Murray TS, Stanley G, Koff JL. Novel Approaches to Multidrug-Resistant Infections in Cystic Fibrosis. Clin Chest Med 2022; 43:667-676. [PMID: 36344073 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccm.2022.06.008] [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] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) often develop respiratory tract infections with pathogenic multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and a variety of gram-negative organisms that include Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Burkholderia sp., Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Achromobacter xylosoxidans, and nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). Despite the introduction of new therapies to address underlying cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) dysfunction, MDRO infections remain a problem and novel antimicrobial interventions are still needed. Therapeutic approaches include improving the efficacy of existing drugs by adjusting the dose based on differences in CF patient pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics, the development of inhaled formulations to reduce systemic adverse events, and the use of newer beta-lactam/beta-lactamase combinations. Alternative innovative therapeutic approaches include the use of gallium and bacteriophages to treat MDRO pulmonary infections including those with extreme antibiotic resistance. However, additional clinical trials are required to determine the optimal dosing and efficacy of these different strategies and to identify patients with CF most likely to benefit from these new treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas S Murray
- Department of Pediatrics, Section Infectious Diseases and Global Health, Yale University School of Medicine, PO Box 208064, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06520-8064, USA.
| | - Gail Stanley
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, PO Box 208057, 300 Cedar Street TAC-441 South, New Haven, CT 06520-8057, USA; Adult Cystic Fibrosis Program; Yale University Center for Phage Biology & Therapy.
| | - Jonathan L Koff
- Adult Cystic Fibrosis Program; Yale University Center for Phage Biology & Therapy; Department of Internal Medicine, Section Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, PO Box 208057, 300 Cedar Street TAC-455A South, New Haven, CT 06520-8057, USA.
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7
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Abedon ST, Danis-Wlodarczyk KM, Alves DR. Phage Therapy in the 21st Century: Is There Modern, Clinical Evidence of Phage-Mediated Efficacy? Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:1157. [PMID: 34832939 PMCID: PMC8625828 DOI: 10.3390/ph14111157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Revised: 11/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Many bacteriophages are obligate killers of bacteria. That this property could be medically useful was first recognized over one hundred years ago, with 2021 being the 100-year anniversary of the first clinical phage therapy publication. Here we consider modern use of phages in clinical settings. Our aim is to answer one question: do phages serve as effective anti-bacterial infection agents when used clinically? An important emphasis of our analyses is on whether phage therapy-associated anti-bacterial infection efficacy can be reasonably distinguished from that associated with often coadministered antibiotics. We find that about half of 70 human phage treatment reports-published in English thus far in the 2000s-are suggestive of phage-mediated anti-bacterial infection efficacy. Two of these are randomized, double-blinded, infection-treatment studies while 14 of those studies, in our opinion, provide superior evidence of a phage role in observed treatment successes. Roughly three-quarters of these potentially phage-mediated outcomes are based on microbiological as well as clinical results, with the rest based on clinical success. Since many of these phage treatments are of infections for which antibiotic therapy had not been successful, their collective effectiveness is suggestive of a valid utility in employing phages to treat otherwise difficult-to-cure bacterial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen T. Abedon
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Mansfield, OH 44906, USA;
| | | | - Diana R. Alves
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Mansfield, OH 44906, USA;
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8
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Improving Phage-Biofilm In Vitro Experimentation. Viruses 2021; 13:v13061175. [PMID: 34205417 PMCID: PMC8234374 DOI: 10.3390/v13061175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2021] [Revised: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages or phages, the viruses of bacteria, are abundant components of most ecosystems, including those where bacteria predominantly occupy biofilm niches. Understanding the phage impact on bacterial biofilms therefore can be crucial toward understanding both phage and bacterial ecology. Here, we take a critical look at the study of bacteriophage interactions with bacterial biofilms as carried out in vitro, since these studies serve as bases of our ecological and therapeutic understanding of phage impacts on biofilms. We suggest that phage-biofilm in vitro experiments often may be improved in terms of both design and interpretation. Specific issues discussed include (a) not distinguishing control of new biofilm growth from removal of existing biofilm, (b) inadequate descriptions of phage titers, (c) artificially small overlying fluid volumes, (d) limited explorations of treatment dosing and duration, (e) only end-point rather than kinetic analyses, (f) importance of distinguishing phage enzymatic from phage bacteriolytic anti-biofilm activities, (g) limitations of biofilm biomass determinations, (h) free-phage interference with viable-count determinations, and (i) importance of experimental conditions. Toward bettering understanding of the ecology of bacteriophage-biofilm interactions, and of phage-mediated biofilm disruption, we discuss here these various issues as well as provide tips toward improving experiments and their reporting.
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9
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Zalewska-Piątek B, Piątek R. Bacteriophages as Potential Tools for Use in Antimicrobial Therapy and Vaccine Development. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:331. [PMID: 33916345 PMCID: PMC8066226 DOI: 10.3390/ph14040331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The constantly growing number of people suffering from bacterial, viral, or fungal infections, parasitic diseases, and cancers prompts the search for innovative methods of disease prevention and treatment, especially based on vaccines and targeted therapy. An additional problem is the global threat to humanity resulting from the increasing resistance of bacteria to commonly used antibiotics. Conventional vaccines based on bacteria or viruses are common and are generally effective in preventing and controlling various infectious diseases in humans. However, there are problems with the stability of these vaccines, their transport, targeted delivery, safe use, and side effects. In this context, experimental phage therapy based on viruses replicating in bacterial cells currently offers a chance for a breakthrough in the treatment of bacterial infections. Phages are not infectious and pathogenic to eukaryotic cells and do not cause diseases in human body. Furthermore, bacterial viruses are sufficient immuno-stimulators with potential adjuvant abilities, easy to transport, and store. They can also be produced on a large scale with cost reduction. In recent years, they have also provided an ideal platform for the design and production of phage-based vaccines to induce protective host immune responses. The most promising in this group are phage-displayed vaccines, allowing for the display of immunogenic peptides or proteins on the phage surfaces, or phage DNA vaccines responsible for expression of target genes (encoding protective antigens) incorporated into the phage genome. Phage vaccines inducing the production of specific antibodies may in the future protect us against infectious diseases and constitute an effective immune tool to fight cancer. Moreover, personalized phage therapy can represent the greatest medical achievement that saves lives. This review demonstrates the latest advances and developments in the use of phage vaccines to prevent human infectious diseases; phage-based therapy, including clinical trials; and personalized treatment adapted to the patient's needs and the type of bacterial infection. It highlights the advantages and disadvantages of experimental phage therapy and, at the same time, indicates its great potential in the treatment of various diseases, especially those resistant to commonly used antibiotics. All the analyses performed look at the rich history and development of phage therapy over the past 100 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beata Zalewska-Piątek
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Chemical Faculty, Gdańsk University of Technology, Narutowicza 11/12, 80-233 Gdańsk, Poland;
| | - Rafał Piątek
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Chemical Faculty, Gdańsk University of Technology, Narutowicza 11/12, 80-233 Gdańsk, Poland;
- BioTechMed Center, Gdańsk University of Technology, Narutowicza 11/12, 80-233 Gdańsk, Poland
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10
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Lebeaux D, Merabishvili M, Caudron E, Lannoy D, Van Simaey L, Duyvejonck H, Guillemain R, Thumerelle C, Podglajen I, Compain F, Kassis N, Mainardi JL, Wittmann J, Rohde C, Pirnay JP, Dufour N, Vermeulen S, Gansemans Y, Van Nieuwerburgh F, Vaneechoutte M. A Case of Phage Therapy against Pandrug-Resistant Achromobacter xylosoxidans in a 12-Year-Old Lung-Transplanted Cystic Fibrosis Patient. Viruses 2021; 13:v13010060. [PMID: 33466377 PMCID: PMC7824836 DOI: 10.3390/v13010060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2020] [Revised: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages are a promising therapeutic strategy among cystic fibrosis and lung-transplanted patients, considering the high frequency of colonization/infection caused by pandrug-resistant bacteria. However, little clinical data are available regarding the use of phages for infections with Achromobacter xylosoxidans. A 12-year-old lung-transplanted cystic fibrosis patient received two rounds of phage therapy because of persistent lung infection with pandrug-resistant A. xylosoxidans. Clinical tolerance was perfect, but initial bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) still grew A. xylosoxidans. The patient's respiratory condition slowly improved and oxygen therapy was stopped. Low-grade airway colonization by A. xylosoxidans persisted for months before samples turned negative. No re-colonisation occurred more than two years after phage therapy was performed and imipenem treatment was stopped. Whole genome sequencing indicated that the eight A. xylosoxidans isolates, collected during phage therapy, belonged to four delineated strains, whereby one had a stop mutation in a gene for a phage receptor. The dynamics of lung colonisation were documented by means of strain-specific qPCRs on different BALs. We report the first case of phage therapy for A. xylosoxidans lung infection in a lung-transplanted patient. The dynamics of airway colonization was more complex than deduced from bacterial culture, involving phage susceptible as well as phage resistant strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Lebeaux
- Université de Paris, F-75006 Paris, France; (I.P.); (F.C.); (J.-L.M.)
- Service de Microbiologie, Unité Mobile d’Infectiologie, AP-HP, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, 20 rue Leblanc, 75015 Paris, France
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +33-1-56-09-29-69; Fax: +33-1-56-09-24-46
| | - Maia Merabishvili
- Laboratory Molecular and Cellular Technology, Queen Astrid Military Hospital, Bruynstraat 1, B-1120 Brussels, Belgium; (M.M.); (J.-P.P.)
- Laboratory Bacteriology Research, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Ghent University, C. Heymanslaan 10, B-9000 Gent, Belgium; (L.V.S.); (H.D.); (M.V.)
| | - Eric Caudron
- Service de Pharmacie, Hôpital européen Georges Pompidou, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris Centre Université-Paris, 20 rue Leblanc, 75015 Paris, France;
- Lipides, Systèmes Analytiques et Biologiques, Université Paris-Saclay, 92296 Châtenay-Malabry, France
| | - Damien Lannoy
- CHU Lille, Institut de Pharmacie, F-59000 Lille, France;
- ULR7365—GRITA—Groupe de Recherche Sur Les Formes Injectables et Les Technologies Associées, Universit Lille, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Leen Van Simaey
- Laboratory Bacteriology Research, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Ghent University, C. Heymanslaan 10, B-9000 Gent, Belgium; (L.V.S.); (H.D.); (M.V.)
| | - Hans Duyvejonck
- Laboratory Bacteriology Research, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Ghent University, C. Heymanslaan 10, B-9000 Gent, Belgium; (L.V.S.); (H.D.); (M.V.)
- Research Center Health & Water Technology, University College Ghent, Keramiekstraat 80, B-9000 Gent, Belgium;
| | - Romain Guillemain
- Service d’Anesthésie-Réanimation, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, 75015 Paris, France;
| | - Caroline Thumerelle
- Pediatric Pulmonology and Allergy Unit, Hôpital Jeanne de Flandre, University Lille, CHU Lille, F-59000 Lille, France;
| | - Isabelle Podglajen
- Université de Paris, F-75006 Paris, France; (I.P.); (F.C.); (J.-L.M.)
- Service de Microbiologie, AP-HP, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, 20 rue Leblanc, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Fabrice Compain
- Université de Paris, F-75006 Paris, France; (I.P.); (F.C.); (J.-L.M.)
- Service de Microbiologie, AP-HP, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, 20 rue Leblanc, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Najiby Kassis
- Unité d'Hygiène Hospitalière, Service de Microbiologie, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, AP-HP, 75015 Paris, France;
| | - Jean-Luc Mainardi
- Université de Paris, F-75006 Paris, France; (I.P.); (F.C.); (J.-L.M.)
- Service de Microbiologie, AP-HP, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, 20 rue Leblanc, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Johannes Wittmann
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ—German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH, Inhoffenstraße 7B, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany; (J.W.); (C.R.)
| | - Christine Rohde
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ—German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH, Inhoffenstraße 7B, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany; (J.W.); (C.R.)
| | - Jean-Paul Pirnay
- Laboratory Molecular and Cellular Technology, Queen Astrid Military Hospital, Bruynstraat 1, B-1120 Brussels, Belgium; (M.M.); (J.-P.P.)
| | - Nicolas Dufour
- Service de Réanimation Médico-Chirurgicale, Centre Hospitalier René Dubos, 95300 Pontoise, France;
| | - Stefan Vermeulen
- Research Center Health & Water Technology, University College Ghent, Keramiekstraat 80, B-9000 Gent, Belgium;
| | - Yannick Gansemans
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ottergemsesteenweg 460, B-9000 Gent, Belgium; (Y.G.); (F.V.N.)
| | - Filip Van Nieuwerburgh
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ottergemsesteenweg 460, B-9000 Gent, Belgium; (Y.G.); (F.V.N.)
| | - Mario Vaneechoutte
- Laboratory Bacteriology Research, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Ghent University, C. Heymanslaan 10, B-9000 Gent, Belgium; (L.V.S.); (H.D.); (M.V.)
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11
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The Safety and Efficacy of Phage Therapy for Bone and Joint Infections: A Systematic Review. Antibiotics (Basel) 2020; 9:antibiotics9110795. [PMID: 33182795 PMCID: PMC7697170 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics9110795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial resistance to antibiotics has catalysed interest in alternative antimicrobial strategies. Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses of bacteria with a long history of successful therapeutic use. Phage therapy is a promising antibacterial strategy for infections with a biofilm component, including recalcitrant bone and joint infections, which have significant social, financial and human impacts. Here, we report a systematic review of the safety and efficacy of phage therapy for the treatment of bone and joint infections. Three electronic databases were systematically searched for articles that reported primary data about human phage therapy for bone and joint infections. Two authors independently assessed study eligibility and performed data extraction. Seventeen reports were eligible for inclusion in this review, representing the treatment of 277 patients. A cautionary, crude, efficacy estimate revealed that 93.1% (n = 258/277) achieved clinical resolution, 3.3% (n = 9/277) had improvement and 3.6% (n = 10/277) showed no improvement. Seven of the nine reports that directly commented on the safety of phage therapy did not express safety concerns. The adverse effects reported in the remaining two were not severe and were linked to the presence of contaminating endotoxins and pre-existing liver pathology in a patient treated with high-titre intravenous phage therapy. Three other reports, from 1940-1987, offered general comments on the safety of phage therapy and documented adverse effects consistent with endotoxin co-administration concomitant with the use of raw phage lysates. Together, the reports identified by this review suggest that appropriately purified phages represent a safe and highly efficacious treatment option for complex and intractable bone and joint infections.
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12
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Steele A, Stacey HJ, de Soir S, Jones JD. The Safety and Efficacy of Phage Therapy for Superficial Bacterial Infections: A Systematic Review. Antibiotics (Basel) 2020; 9:E754. [PMID: 33138253 PMCID: PMC7692203 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics9110754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Superficial bacterial infections, such as dermatological, burn wound and chronic wound/ulcer infections, place great human and financial burdens on health systems globally and are often complicated by antibiotic resistance. Bacteriophage (phage) therapy is a promising alternative antimicrobial strategy with a 100-year history of successful application. Here, we report a systematic review of the safety and efficacy of phage therapy for the treatment of superficial bacterial infections. Three electronic databases were systematically searched for articles that reported primary data about human phage therapy for dermatological, burn wound or chronic wound/ulcer infections secondary to commonly causative bacteria. Two authors independently assessed study eligibility and performed data extraction. Of the 27 eligible reports, eight contained data on burn wound infection (n = 156), 12 on chronic wound/ulcer infection (n = 327) and 10 on dermatological infections (n = 1096). Cautionary pooled efficacy estimates from the studies that clearly reported efficacy data showed clinical resolution or improvement in 77.5% (n = 111) of burn wound infections, 86.1% (n = 310) of chronic wound/ulcer infections and 94.14% (n = 734) of dermatological infections. Over half of the reports that commented on safety (n = 8/15), all published in or after 2002, did not express safety concerns. Seven early reports (1929-1987), described adverse effects consistent with the administration of raw phage lysate and co-administered bacterial debris or broth. This review strongly suggests that the use of purified phage to treat superficial bacterial infections can be highly effective and, by various routes of administration, is safe and without adverse effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angharad Steele
- Infection Medicine, Edinburgh Medical School: Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Chancellor’s Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK;
| | - Helen J. Stacey
- Edinburgh Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Chancellor’s Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK;
| | - Steven de Soir
- Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Technology, Queen Astrid Military Hospital, Rue Bruyn, 1120 Brussels, Belgium;
- Cellular & Molecular Pharmacology, Louvain Drug Research Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), avenue E. Mounier 73, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Joshua D. Jones
- Infection Medicine, Edinburgh Medical School: Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Chancellor’s Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK;
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13
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Aminoglycoside Antibiotics Inhibit Mycobacteriophage Infection. Antibiotics (Basel) 2020; 9:antibiotics9100714. [PMID: 33086520 PMCID: PMC7603143 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics9100714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Revised: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance is becoming the biggest threat to global health. At the same time, phage therapy is witnessing a return of interest. The therapeutic use of bacteriophages that infect and kill bacteria is a suitable strategy to combat antibiotic resistance. Furthermore, bacteriophages are increasingly used in combination with standard antibiotics against drug-resistant pathogens. Interestingly, we found that the engineered mycobacteriophage phAE159 and natural phage D29 cannot infect the Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the presence of kanamycin, hygromycin or streptomycin, but the phage infection was not affected in the presence of spectinomycin. Based on a series of studies and structural analysis of the above four aminoglycoside antibiotics, it could be speculated that the amino sugar group of aminoglycoside might selectively inhibit mycobacteriophage DNA replication. Our discovery that broad-spectrum antibiotics inhibit phage infection is of great value. This study will provide guidance for people to combine phage and antibiotics to treat M. tuberculosis.
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14
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Cohan FM, Zandi M, Turner PE. Broadscale phage therapy is unlikely to select for widespread evolution of bacterial resistance to virus infection. Virus Evol 2020; 6:veaa060. [PMID: 33365149 PMCID: PMC7744382 DOI: 10.1093/ve/veaa060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Multi-drug resistant bacterial pathogens are alarmingly on the rise, signaling that the golden age of antibiotics may be over. Phage therapy is a classic approach that often employs strictly lytic bacteriophages (bacteria-specific viruses that kill cells) to combat infections. Recent success in using phages in patient treatment stimulates greater interest in phage therapy among Western physicians. But there is concern that widespread use of phage therapy would eventually lead to global spread of phage-resistant bacteria and widespread failure of the approach. Here, we argue that various mechanisms of horizontal genetic transfer (HGT) have largely contributed to broad acquisition of antibiotic resistance in bacterial populations and species, whereas similar evolution of broad resistance to therapeutic phages is unlikely. The tendency for phages to infect only particular bacterial genotypes limits their broad use in therapy, in turn reducing the likelihood that bacteria could acquire beneficial resistance genes from distant relatives via HGT. We additionally consider whether HGT of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) immunity would thwart generalized use of phages in therapy, and argue that phage-specific CRISPR spacer regions from one taxon are unlikely to provide adaptive value if horizontally-transferred to other taxa. For these reasons, we conclude that broadscale phage therapy efforts are unlikely to produce widespread selection for evolution of bacterial resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederick M Cohan
- Department of Biology, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT 06459, USA
| | - Matthew Zandi
- Department of Biology, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT 06459, USA
| | - Paul E Turner
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.,Program in Microbiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
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15
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Guo L, Wang H, Wang Y, Liu F, Feng L. Organic Polymer Nanoparticles with Primary Ammonium Salt as Potent Antibacterial Nanomaterials. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2020; 12:21254-21262. [PMID: 31909588 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b19921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial infections induced by drug-resistant strains have become a global crisis. A membrane-disrupted mechanism is considered as an effective way to kill bacteria with little chance to trigger drug resistance. It is necessary to explore and develop new materials based on the membrane-disrupted mechanism to combat bacterial resistance. Here we report the design of organic nanoparticles based on a polymer (PDCP) as highly effective inhibition and bactericidal reagents. The PDCP is devised to have a hydrophobic skeleton and hydrophilic side chain modified with protonated primary amines, which could self-assemble to form organic nanoparticles (PDCP-NPs). By taking advantage of the large surface to volume ratio of nanoparticles, the synthesized PDCP-NPs have enriched positive charges and multiple membrane-binding sites. Research results display that PDCP-NPs have highly potent antibacterial activity in vitro and vivo, especially for Gram-negative bacteria with low toxicity against mammalian cells. This work design will inspire researchers to develop more membrane-disrupted bactericide and advance the applications of organic nanoparticles in the antibacterial area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lixia Guo
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, P.R. China
| | - Haoping Wang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, P.R. China
| | - Yunxia Wang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, P.R. China
| | - Feng Liu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, P.R. China
| | - Liheng Feng
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, P.R. China
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16
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Lu H, Liu H, Lu M, Wang J, Liu X, Liu R. Isolation and Characterization of a Novel myovirus Infecting Shigella dysenteriae from the Aeration Tank Water. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 2020; 192:120-131. [PMID: 32270380 DOI: 10.1007/s12010-020-03310-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The genome sequence, morphology, and genetic features of a novel phage, named SSE1, is reported here. Phage SSE1 that infects Shigella dysenteriae (China General Microbiological Culture Collection Center number: 1.1869) was isolated from the aeration tank water of a sewage treatment plant. SSE1 showed morphological features associated with those of phages in Myoviridae. The whole genome sequence of phage SSE1 is composed of 169,744 bp with the GC content of 37.51%. The double-stranded DNA of SSE1 contains 270 open reading frameworks (ORFs). Phylogenetically, phage SSE1 showed a stronger homology (whole genome and terminase large subunit protein sequence) to Escherichia phages than other Shigella phages in the NCBI database, but SSE1 did not infect Escherichia stains. This indicates that phage SSE1 should be a novel phage infecting Shigella dysenteriae. Besides, the result of this study provided a new idea for phage therapy. SSE1 may become a candidate for potential therapy against Shigella dysenteriae infection in clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Lu
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China
| | - Honghui Liu
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China
| | - Min Lu
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China
| | - Jingwei Wang
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China
| | - Xinchun Liu
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China.
| | - Ruyin Liu
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China.
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17
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Reuter M, Kruger DH. Approaches to optimize therapeutic bacteriophage and bacteriophage-derived products to combat bacterial infections. Virus Genes 2020; 56:136-149. [PMID: 32036540 PMCID: PMC7223754 DOI: 10.1007/s11262-020-01735-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Accepted: 01/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The emerging occurrence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens leads to a recollection of bacteriophage as antimicrobial therapeutics. This article presents a short overview of the clinical phage application including their use in military medicine and discusses the genotypic and phenotypic properties of a potential "ideal" therapeutic phage. We describe current efforts to engineer phage for their improved usability in pathogen treatment. In addition, phage can be applied for pathogen detection, selective drug delivery, vaccine development, or food and surface decontamination. Instead of viable phage, (engineered) phage-derived enzymes, such as polysaccharide depolymerases or peptidoglycan-degrading enzymes, are considered as promising therapeutic candidates. Finally, we briefly summarize the use of phage for the detection and treatment of "Category A priority pathogens".
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Reuter
- Institute of Virology, Helmut-Ruska-Haus, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Detlev H. Kruger
- Institute of Virology, Helmut-Ruska-Haus, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
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18
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Dąbrowska K, Abedon ST. Pharmacologically Aware Phage Therapy: Pharmacodynamic and Pharmacokinetic Obstacles to Phage Antibacterial Action in Animal and Human Bodies. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2019; 83:e00012-19. [PMID: 31666296 PMCID: PMC6822990 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00012-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of viruses infecting bacteria (bacteriophages or phages) to treat bacterial infections has been ongoing clinically for approximately 100 years. Despite that long history, the growing international crisis of resistance to standard antibiotics, abundant anecdotal evidence of efficacy, and one successful modern clinical trial of efficacy, this phage therapy is not yet a mainstream approach in medicine. One explanation for why phage therapy has not been subject to more widespread implementation is that phage therapy research, both preclinical and clinical, can be insufficiently pharmacologically aware. Consequently, here we consider the pharmacological obstacles to phage therapy effectiveness, with phages in phage therapy explicitly being considered to serve as drug equivalents. The study of pharmacology has traditionally been differentiated into pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic aspects. We therefore separately consider the difficulties that phages as virions can have in traveling through body compartments toward reaching their target bacteria (pharmacokinetics) and the difficulties that phages can have in exerting antibacterial activity once they have reached those bacteria (pharmacodynamics). The latter difficulties, at least in part, are functions of phage host range and bacterial resistance to phages. Given the apparently low toxicity of phages and the minimal side effects of phage therapy as practiced, phage therapy should be successful so long as phages can reach the targeted bacteria in sufficiently high numbers, adsorb, and then kill those bacteria. Greater awareness of what obstacles to this success generally or specifically can exist, as documented in this review, should aid in the further development of phage therapy toward wider use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krystyna Dąbrowska
- Bacteriophage Laboratory, Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Stephen T Abedon
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Mansfield, Ohio, USA
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19
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Correlation of Host Range Expansion of Therapeutic Bacteriophage Sb-1 with Allele State at a Hypervariable Repeat Locus. Appl Environ Microbiol 2019; 85:AEM.01209-19. [PMID: 31492663 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01209-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2019] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Staphylococci are frequent agents of health care-associated infections and include methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which is resistant to first-line antibiotic treatments. Bacteriophage (phage) therapy is a promising alternative antibacterial option to treat MRSA infections. S. aureus-specific phage Sb-1 has been widely used in Georgia to treat a variety of human S. aureus infections. Sb-1 has a broad host range within S. aureus, including MRSA strains, and its host range can be further expanded by adaptation to previously resistant clinical isolates. The susceptibilities of a panel of 25 genetically diverse clinical MRSA isolates to Sb-1 phage were tested, and the phage had lytic activity against 23 strains (92%). The adapted phage stock (designated Sb-1A) was tested in comparison with the parental phage (designated Sb-1P). Sb-1P had lytic activity against 78/90 strains (87%) in an expanded panel of diverse global S. aureus isolates, while eight additional strains in this panel were susceptible to Sb-1A (lytic against 86/90 strains [96%]). The Sb-1A stock was shown to be a mixed population of phage clones, including approximately 4% expanded host range mutants, designated Sb-1M. In an effort to better understand the genetic basis for this host range expansion, we sequenced the complete genomes of the parental Sb-1P and two Sb-1M mutants. Comparative genomic analysis revealed a hypervariable complex repeat structure in the Sb-1 genome that had a distinct allele that correlated with the host range expansion. This hypervariable region was previously uncharacterized in Twort-like phages and represents a novel putative host range determinant.IMPORTANCE Because of limited therapeutic options, infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus represent a serious problem in both civilian and military health care settings. Phages have potential as alternative antibacterial agents that can be used in combination with antibiotic drugs. For decades, phage Sb-1 has been used in former Soviet Union countries for antistaphylococcal treatment in humans. The therapeutic spectrum of activity of Sb-1 can be increased by selecting mutants of the phage with expanded host ranges. In this work, the host range of phage Sb-1 was expanded in the laboratory, and a hypervariable region in its genome was identified with a distinct allele state that correlated with this host range expansion. These results provide a genetic basis for better understanding the mechanisms of phage host range expansion.
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20
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Abedon ST. Phage-Antibiotic Combination Treatments: Antagonistic Impacts of Antibiotics on the Pharmacodynamics of Phage Therapy? Antibiotics (Basel) 2019; 8:antibiotics8040182. [PMID: 31614449 PMCID: PMC6963693 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics8040182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Revised: 10/02/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteria can evolve resistance to antibiotics. Even without changing genetically, bacteria also can display tolerance to antibiotic treatments. Many antibiotics are also broadly acting, as can result in excessive modifications of body microbiomes. Particularly for antibiotics of last resort or in treating extremely ill patients, antibiotics furthermore can display excessive toxicities. Antibiotics nevertheless remain the standard of care for bacterial infections, and rightly so given their long track records of both antibacterial efficacy and infrequency of severe side effects. Antibiotics do not successfully cure all treated bacterial infections, however, thereby providing a utility to alternative antibacterial approaches. One such approach is the use of bacteriophages, the viruses of bacteria. This nearly 100-year-old bactericidal, anti-infection technology can be effective against antibiotic-resistant or -tolerant bacteria, including bacterial biofilms and persister cells. Ideally phages could be used in combination with standard antibiotics while retaining their anti-bacterial pharmacodynamic activity, this despite antibiotics interfering with aspects of bacterial metabolism that are also required for full phage infection activity. Here I examine the literature of pre-clinical phage-antibiotic combination treatments, with emphasis on antibiotic-susceptible bacterial targets. I review evidence of antibiotic interference with phage infection activity along with its converse: phage antibacterial functioning despite antibiotic presence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen T Abedon
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Mansfield, OH 44906, USA.
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21
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Abedon ST. Use of phage therapy to treat long-standing, persistent, or chronic bacterial infections. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2019; 145:18-39. [PMID: 31708017 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2018.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2018] [Revised: 03/10/2018] [Accepted: 06/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Viruses of bacteria - known as bacteriophages or phages - have been used clinically as antibacterial agents for nearly 100 years. Often this phage therapy is of long-standing, persistent, or chronic bacterial infections, and this can be particularly so given prior but insufficiently effective infection treatment using standard antibiotics. Such infections, in turn, often have a biofilm component. Phages in modern medicine thus are envisaged to serve especially as anti-biofilm/anti-persistent infection agents. Here I review the English-language literature concerning in vivo experimental and clinical phage treatment of longer-lived bacterial infections. Overall, published data appears to be supportive of a relatively high potential for phages to cure infections which are long standing and which otherwise have resisted treatment with antibieiotics.
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22
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Sváb D, Falgenhauer L, Rohde M, Chakraborty T, Tóth I. Complete genome sequence of C130_2, a novel myovirus infecting pathogenic Escherichia coli and Shigella strains. Arch Virol 2018; 164:321-324. [PMID: 30238162 DOI: 10.1007/s00705-018-4042-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Accepted: 09/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The genome sequence of a novel virulent bacteriophage, named " C130_2", that is morphologically a member of the family Myoviridae is reported. The 41,775-base-pair double-stranded DNA genome of C130_2 contains 59 ORFs but exhibits overall low sequence similarity to bacteriophage genomes for which sequences are publicly available. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that C130_2 represents a new phage type. C130_2 could be propagated well on enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 and other pathogenic E. coli strains, as well as on strains of various Shigella species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Domonkos Sváb
- Institute for Veterinary Medical Research, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Linda Falgenhauer
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Justus Liebig University Giessen and German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Giessen-Marburg-Langen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Manfred Rohde
- Central Facility for Microscopy, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, HZI, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Trinad Chakraborty
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Justus Liebig University Giessen and German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Giessen-Marburg-Langen, Giessen, Germany
| | - István Tóth
- Institute for Veterinary Medical Research, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.
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23
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Kakasis A, Panitsa G. Bacteriophage therapy as an alternative treatment for human infections. A comprehensive review. Int J Antimicrob Agents 2018; 53:16-21. [PMID: 30236954 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2018.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2018] [Revised: 08/28/2018] [Accepted: 09/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that infect bacteria. They were discovered around a century ago and have been used ever since for therapeutic purposes, particularly in former Soviet Union countries. Their use in Western countries was abandoned after the discovery and broad use of penicillin. The rising problem of antimicrobial resistance has revived interest in bacteriophage therapy. The aim of this article is to provide a comprehensive review of all aspects of natural phage therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Athanasios Kakasis
- 3rd Internal Medicine Department, Athens General Hospital "G Gennimatas", Mesogeion Avenue 154, 11527, Athens, Greece.
| | - Gerasimia Panitsa
- Ophthalmology Department, Athens General Hospital "G Gennimatas", Mesogeion Avenue 154, 11527, Athens, Greece
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24
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Górski A, Jończyk-Matysiak E, Łusiak-Szelachowska M, Międzybrodzki R, Weber-Dąbrowska B, Borysowski J, Letkiewicz S, Bagińska N, Sfanos KS. Phage Therapy in Prostatitis: Recent Prospects. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:1434. [PMID: 30008710 PMCID: PMC6034095 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.01434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Accepted: 06/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Prostatitis has various etiology including bacterial infection and dysregulated immunity; some of its forms remain a serious therapeutic challenge. Inflammation occurs in all forms of this disorder and is proposed to predispose to the development of prostate cancer (PC). There are reports that phage therapy is effective in chronic bacterial prostatitis. Recent findings suggest that phages not only eliminate bacteria, but also mediate immunomodulating (for example, anti-inflammatory) functions. The immunomodulating effects of phages could be beneficial in treating all forms of prostatitis and play some role in the prevention of the development of PC. As the etiological factors contributing to the majority of prostatitis cases remains largely unknown, and management options are often likewise limited, phage therapy merits further research as an attractive therapeutic option given its immunomodulating effects irrespective of the underlying causative factor(s).
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrzej Górski
- Bacteriophage Laboratory, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wrocław, Poland.,Phage Therapy Unit, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wrocław, Poland.,Department of Clinical Immunology, Transplantation Institute, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Ewa Jończyk-Matysiak
- Bacteriophage Laboratory, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Marzanna Łusiak-Szelachowska
- Bacteriophage Laboratory, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Ryszard Międzybrodzki
- Bacteriophage Laboratory, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wrocław, Poland.,Phage Therapy Unit, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wrocław, Poland.,Department of Clinical Immunology, Transplantation Institute, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Beata Weber-Dąbrowska
- Bacteriophage Laboratory, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wrocław, Poland.,Phage Therapy Unit, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Jan Borysowski
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Transplantation Institute, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Sławomir Letkiewicz
- Phage Therapy Unit, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wrocław, Poland.,Medical Sciences Institute, Katowice School of Economics, Katowice, Poland
| | - Natalia Bagińska
- Bacteriophage Laboratory, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Karen S Sfanos
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Department of Urology, James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
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25
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Baktash A, Terveer EM, Zwittink RD, Hornung BVH, Corver J, Kuijper EJ, Smits WK. Mechanistic Insights in the Success of Fecal Microbiota Transplants for the Treatment of Clostridium difficile Infections. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:1242. [PMID: 29946308 PMCID: PMC6005852 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.01242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2018] [Accepted: 05/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Fecal microbiota transplantation has proven to be an effective treatment for infections with the gram-positive enteropathogen Clostridium difficile. Despite its effectiveness, the exact mechanisms that underlie its success are largely unclear. In this review, we highlight the pleiotropic effectors that are transferred during fecal microbiota transfer and relate this to the C. difficile lifecycle. In doing so, we show that it is likely that multiple factors contribute to the elimination of symptoms of C. difficile infections after fecal microbiota transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amoe Baktash
- Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Elisabeth M Terveer
- Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.,Center for Microbiome Analyses and Therapeutics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.,Netherlands Donor Feces Bank, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Romy D Zwittink
- Center for Microbiome Analyses and Therapeutics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.,Experimental Bacteriology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Bastian V H Hornung
- Center for Microbiome Analyses and Therapeutics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.,Experimental Bacteriology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Jeroen Corver
- Center for Microbiome Analyses and Therapeutics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.,Experimental Bacteriology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Ed J Kuijper
- Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.,Center for Microbiome Analyses and Therapeutics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.,Netherlands Donor Feces Bank, Leiden, Netherlands.,Experimental Bacteriology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Wiep Klaas Smits
- Experimental Bacteriology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
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26
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Cha K, Oh HK, Jang JY, Jo Y, Kim WK, Ha GU, Ko KS, Myung H. Characterization of Two Novel Bacteriophages Infecting Multidrug-Resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter baumannii and Evaluation of Their Therapeutic Efficacy in Vivo. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:696. [PMID: 29755420 PMCID: PMC5932359 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Acinetobacter baumannii is emerging as a challenging nosocomial pathogen due to its rapid evolution of antibiotic resistance. We report characterization of two novel bacteriophages, PBAB08 and PBAB25, infecting clinically isolated, multidrug-resistant (MDR) A. baumannii strains. Both phages belonged to Myoviridae of Caudovirales as their morphology observed under an electron microscope. Their genomes were double stranded linear DNAs of 42,312 base pairs and 40,260 base pairs, respectively. The two phages were distinct from known Acinetobacter phages when whole genome sequences were compared. PBAB08 showed a 99% similarity with 57% sequence coverage to phage AB1 and PBAB25 showed a 97% similarity with 78% sequence coverage to phage IME_AB3. BLASTN significant alignment coverage of all other known phages were <30%. Seventy six and seventy genes encoding putative phage proteins were found in the genomes of PBAB08 and PBAB25, respectively. Their genomic organizations and sequence similarities were consistent with the modular theory of phage evolution. Therapeutic efficacy of a phage cocktail containing the two and other phages were evaluated in a mice model with nasal infection of MDR A. baumannii. Mice treated with the phage cocktail showed a 2.3-fold higher survival rate than those untreated in 7 days post infection. In addition, 1/100 reduction of the number of A. baumannii in the lung of the mice treated with the phage cocktail was observed. Also, inflammatory responses of mice which were injected with the phage cocktail by intraperitoneal, intranasal, or oral route was investigated. Increase in serum cytokine was minimal regardless of the injection route. A 20% increase in IgE production was seen in intraperitoneal injection route, but not in other routes. Thus, the cocktail containing the two newly isolated phages could serve as a potential candidate for therapeutic interventions to treat A. baummannii infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyoungeun Cha
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Yong-In, South Korea.,The Bacteriophage Bank of Korea, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Yong-In, South Korea
| | - Hynu K Oh
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Yong-In, South Korea
| | - Jae Y Jang
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Yong-In, South Korea
| | - Yunyeol Jo
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Yong-In, South Korea
| | - Won K Kim
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Yong-In, South Korea
| | - Geon U Ha
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Yong-In, South Korea
| | - Kwan S Ko
- Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyukwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Heejoon Myung
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Yong-In, South Korea.,The Bacteriophage Bank of Korea, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Yong-In, South Korea
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27
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Catalano CE. Bacteriophage lambda: The path from biology to theranostic agent. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-NANOMEDICINE AND NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/wnan.1517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Carlos E. Catalano
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical ScienceUniversity of ColoradoAuroraColorado
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28
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Sváb D, Falgenhauer L, Rohde M, Szabó J, Chakraborty T, Tóth I. Identification and Characterization of T5-Like Bacteriophages Representing Two Novel Subgroups from Food Products. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:202. [PMID: 29487585 PMCID: PMC5816814 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2017] [Accepted: 01/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
During recent years, interest in the use of bacteriophages as biocontrol agents against foodborne pathogens has increased, particularly for members of the family Enterobacteriaceae, with pathogenic Escherichia coli, Shigella, and Salmonella strains among them. Here, we report the isolation and characterisation of 12 novel T5-like bacteriophages from confiscated food samples. All bacterophages effectively lysed E. coli K-12 strains and were able to infect pathogenic E. coli strains representing enterohaemorrhagic (EHEC), enteropathogenic (EPEC), enterotoxigenic (ETEC), and enteroinvasive (EIEC) pathotypes, Shigella dysenteriae, S. sonnei strains, as well as multidrug-resistant (MDR) E. coli and multiple strains representing different Salmonella enterica serovars. All the bacteriophages exhibited Siphoviridae morphology. Whole genome sequencing of the novel T5-like bacteriophages showed that they represent two distinct groups, with the genome-based grouping correlating to the different host spectra. As these bacteriophages are of food origin, their stability and lack of any virulence genes, as well as their broad and mutually complementary host spectrum makes these new T5-like bacteriophages valuable candidates for use as biocontrol agents against foodborne pathogenic enterobacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Domonkos Sváb
- Institute for Veterinary Medical Research, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Linda Falgenhauer
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Justus Liebig University Giessen and German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Giessen-Marburg-Langen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Manfred Rohde
- Central Facility for Microscopy, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, HZI, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Judit Szabó
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Trinad Chakraborty
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Justus Liebig University Giessen and German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Giessen-Marburg-Langen, Giessen, Germany
| | - István Tóth
- Institute for Veterinary Medical Research, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
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29
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Abedon ST. Bacteriophage-Mediated Biocontrol of Wound Infections, and Ecological Exploitation of Biofilms by Phages. BIOFILM, PILONIDAL CYSTS AND SINUSES 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/15695_2018_110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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30
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Rodríguez-Rubio L, Jofre J, Muniesa M. Is Genetic Mobilization Considered When Using Bacteriophages in Antimicrobial Therapy? Antibiotics (Basel) 2017; 6:antibiotics6040032. [PMID: 29206153 PMCID: PMC5745475 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics6040032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2017] [Revised: 11/15/2017] [Accepted: 12/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergence of multi-drug resistant bacteria has undermined our capacity to control bacterial infectious diseases. Measures needed to tackle this problem include controlling the spread of antibiotic resistance, designing new antibiotics, and encouraging the use of alternative therapies. Phage therapy seems to be a feasible alternative to antibiotics, although there are still some concerns and legal issues to overcome before it can be implemented on a large scale. Here we highlight some of those concerns, especially those related to the ability of bacteriophages to transport bacterial DNA and, in particular, antibiotic resistance genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena Rodríguez-Rubio
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, Faculty of Biology, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Joan Jofre
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, Faculty of Biology, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Maite Muniesa
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, Faculty of Biology, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
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31
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Abedon ST. Active bacteriophage biocontrol and therapy on sub-millimeter scales towards removal of unwanted bacteria from foods and microbiomes. AIMS Microbiol 2017; 3:649-688. [PMID: 31294181 PMCID: PMC6604992 DOI: 10.3934/microbiol.2017.3.649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2017] [Accepted: 07/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages can be used as antibacterial agents as a form of biological control, e.g., such as phage therapy. With active treatment, phages must "actively" produce new virions, in situ, to attain "inundative" densities, i.e., sufficient titers to eradicate bacteria over reasonable timeframes. Passive treatment, by contrast, can be accomplished using phages that are bactericidal but incapable of generating new phage virions in situ during their interaction with target bacteria. These ideas of active versus passive treatment come from theoretical considerations of phage therapy pharmacology, particularly as developed in terms of phage application to well-mixed cultures consisting of physically unassociated bacteria. Here I extend these concepts to bacteria which instead are physically associated. These are bacteria as found making up cellular arrangements or bacterial microcolonies-collectively, clonal bacterial "clumps". I consider circumstances where active phage replication would be required to effect desired levels of bacterial clearance, but populations of bacteria nevertheless are insufficiently prevalent to support phage replication to bacteria-inundative densities across environments. Clumped bacteria, however, may still support active treatment at more local, i.e., sub-millimeter, within-clump spatial scales, and potential consequences of this are explored mathematically. Application is to the post-harvest biocontrol of foodborne pathogens, and potentially also to precise microbiome editing. Adequate infection performance by phages in terms of timely burst sizes, that is, other than just adsorption rates and bactericidal activity, thus could be important for treatment effectiveness even if bacterial densities overall are insufficient to support active treatment across environments. Poor phage replication during treatment of even low bacterial numbers, such as given food refrigeration during treatment, consequently could be problematic to biocontrol success. In practical terms, this means that the characterization of phages for such purposes should include their potential to generate new virions under realistic in situ conditions across a diversity of potential bacterial targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen T. Abedon
- Department of Microbiology, the Ohio State University, 1680 University Dr., Mansfield, OH 44906, USA
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32
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Abedon ST. Phage "delay" towards enhancing bacterial escape from biofilms: a more comprehensive way of viewing resistance to bacteriophages. AIMS Microbiol 2017; 3:186-226. [PMID: 31294157 PMCID: PMC6605007 DOI: 10.3934/microbiol.2017.2.186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2017] [Accepted: 03/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In exploring bacterial resistance to bacteriophages, emphasis typically is placed on those mechanisms which completely prevent phage replication. Such resistance can be detected as extensive reductions in phage ability to form plaques, that is, reduced efficiency of plating. Mechanisms include restriction-modification systems, CRISPR/Cas systems, and abortive infection systems. Alternatively, phages may be reduced in their “vigor” when infecting certain bacterial hosts, that is, with phages displaying smaller burst sizes or extended latent periods rather than being outright inactivated. It is well known, as well, that most phages poorly infect bacteria that are less metabolically active. Extracellular polymers such as biofilm matrix material also may at least slow phage penetration to bacterial surfaces. Here I suggest that such “less-robust” mechanisms of resistance to bacteriophages could serve bacteria by slowing phage propagation within bacterial biofilms, that is, delaying phage impact on multiple bacteria rather than necessarily outright preventing such impact. Related bacteria, ones that are relatively near to infected bacteria, e.g., roughly 10+ µm away, consequently may be able to escape from biofilms with greater likelihood via standard dissemination-initiating mechanisms including erosion from biofilm surfaces or seeding dispersal/central hollowing. That is, given localized areas of phage infection, so long as phage spread can be reduced in rate from initial points of contact with susceptible bacteria, then bacterial survival may be enhanced due to bacteria metaphorically “running away” to more phage-free locations. Delay mechanisms—to the extent that they are less specific in terms of what phages are targeted—collectively could represent broader bacterial strategies of phage resistance versus outright phage killing, the latter especially as require specific, evolved molecular recognition of phage presence. The potential for phage delay should be taken into account when developing protocols of phage-mediated biocontrol of biofilm bacteria, e.g., as during phage therapy of chronic bacterial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen T Abedon
- Department of Microbiology, the Ohio State University, 1680 University Dr., Mansfield, OH 44906, USA
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